Commerce and Commodities: Argentina, Capitalism, and the Wheels of Trade

How did commerce, law, and politics shape the rise of modern capitalism? In this episode, we explore the political and economic history of Argentina’s transformation from colony to republic, tracing the evolution of commerce, property, and state-building. We discuss how merchants and capitalists navigated political upheavals, the transition from Natural Law to formalized property rights, and the role of liberal intellectuals in crafting a centralized political economy. Drawing parallels to the broader Atlantic world, we also examine mechanisms of pre-industrial commerce—shops, markets, trade networks, and banking—that laid the foundation for modern capitalism. What can Argentina’s struggles tell us about the connections between economic justice, political institutions, and the global economy? Join us for a deep dive into how trade, commodities, and legal frameworks shaped a nation’s economic destiny. Economic history and capitalism Political history of commerce Transformation of trade networks Atlantic world economic changes Property rights and liberalism Pre-industrial commerce and trade Capitalism and state-building Merchants and political upheaval Economic justice and property law Global trade and legal systems Argentina’s economic history Natural Law to property formalization Buenos Aires colonial and republican transition Development of Argentine capitalism Shops, markets, and trade networks Commercial law in 19th-century Argentina Pre-industrial stages of capitalism Political foundations of property law Statehood and liberal republicanism in Argentina Banking and economic justice in the Atlantic world