Posted on 08/04/2005 8:48:41 AM PDT by kennedy
The Argentine National Archives hold a large collection of colonial documents from the period of the Spanish government in the American continent. The most modern pieces reach approximately the year 1821, with the end of the operation of the last institutions that had characterized the colonial State.
Significance of this documentary heritage
The collection was included in the Memory of the World Registry in 1997.
The document collection begins in 1600 with the By Laws (Acuerdos), Tax Records (Propios) and the Archive of the Town Council (Cabildo) of Buenos Aires, and the Escribanías Antiguas (Old Notary’s Offices), that is, the first Notary Protocols of this Capital.
According to the historical evolution of the area, the pieces are relatively scarce for the 16th and 17th centuries, but very rich for the 18th century, especially in the last decades when the taking over of the Bourbon dynasty brought a restructuring at a territorial and administrative level.
This collection highlights the proceedings of governors, viceroys, and mayors and of other government bodies such as the Consulate, the Customs and the National Audit Office, expressed in the Crown’s Regulations (Pragmatics, Royal Notices, Royal Orders, Decrees and Edicts), in the files and in the correspondence records. In many cases, there appears only the commencing of a procedure which will be continued in Spain; therefore our archive is complemented with the files kept at the Archivo de Indias in Seville, the Archivo de Simancas and the Historical Archive of Madrid.
The documents also mention topics related to commerce, shipping, taxes, agriculture, industry, hospitals, border problems, aspects of Indian life, different religious orders, transportation, campaigns against the Portuguese, slave trade, conflicts with Great Britain and the Guarani wars, among others.
The material greatly exceeds the limits of the present Argentine territory, and includes the entire Virreinato del Río de la Plata –Viceroyalty of the River Plate– (Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay) and parts of the present territory of Peru. That constitutes the reason why the collection is essential for the study of the countries which make up the Mercosur, and it also provides relevant information with reference to Río Grande do Sul in Brazil and on some islands located on the African coast which were dependencies of the Viceroyalty, which allows the research into the circuits of Atlantic trade.
The Slave Trade in the Collection
The Slave Trade in Spanish America went through different stages. In a first moment, the Council of the Indies had jurisdiction over the issue, creating its own "Junta de Negros". As the Spaniards were not directly involved in this trade, they handed over to third countries the task of introducing black slaves in the regions that required manpower. The licenses were granted in principle to the Portuguese, the French and other nationalities. In a second stage, the trade was regulated by means of Asiento Treaties, as the one conferred to the French Company of Guinea in 1700, and after the Peace of Utrecht, to the South Sea Company. Based on these agreements, the beneficiary Company paid the King a percentage as tax. It was also entitled to introduce in the American ports, five hundread tons of merchandises to dress and feed the slaves. This concession had a major influence on the overall commercial policy of the River Plate region, determining a strong English influence. In a third stage, Charles IV abolished in 1789 the Asiento system, authorizing the free traffic of slaves.
Finally, in 1813, the Constituent Assembly determined the "freedom of wombs" (children to the slaves were born free) and prohibited Slave trade, while the National Constitution of 1853 abolished slavery. During the 1820s, the freed blacks were grouped by "nation" in "African Societies", used as a means of social control of the colored population.
All documents in the collection are handwritten on paper. The document types present in the collection regarding the Slave Trade are Slave Censuses, Books of Confiscated Slaves, Applications for Licenses to Import Slaves, Books of the English and French Asiento Companies, Books on the trade with the Guinea Gulf, Bills of Trade, Books of Accounts. There are also may deeds of slave purchases in the Public Notary Books, as well as documents relating to the "African Societies".
News
Reconstructing the Slave Route in the Colonial Era Reconstructing the Slave Route in the Colonial Era*
21-05-2003 (UNESCO) - Reconstructing one of the darkest pages of Argentina’s history, the one of the African slave trade of the Rio de La Plata, this is the aim of the contribution of the National General Archives (Archivo General de la Nacion) of Argentina to the Slave Trade Archives project, being carried out in the context of the Memory of the World programme of UNESCO. More than 500 documents have hence been digitised by the institution with UNESCO’s financial support.
Hugh Hewitt suggests send our comments to the NY Slimes.......
CONTACT
• E-mail: public@nytimes.com
• Phone: (212) 556-7652
• Address: Public Editor
The New York Times
229 West 43rd St.
New York, NY 10036-3959
History of International Migration Site
Migration to Latin America
Italy
* 1857-1924: More than half of the Italians in Argentina came from central or northern districts. This provided a broad spectrum of occupational, skill and rural-urban differences. (Survey, 216)
* 19th- 20th century: Especially emigrants from Italy went to South America.
Barrio La Boca
La Boca is one of the older barrios of Buenos Aires, and was the original Port area of the city. Many of the residents can trace their ancestry to the town of Genoa, Italy. La Boca is where you will find many sleazy bars and nightclubs, and homes painted in bright colors with leftover boat paint. One place not to be missed in La Boca is the famous Tango dinner show called "Tango Mio". There you will be entertained by Tango dancers dancing on your table as you dine in one the original Tango palaces from the 1930's. If there is a dangerous area to be at night in Buenos Aries, this is it, so take a taxi or tour bus, but don't let that scare you.
Captain's Quarters has some good comments:
The Gray Lady Turns Into The National Enquirer
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Note: This originally appeared as an update on my post about Jon Corzine and the article regarding the loan to his ex-girlfriend. I'm posting it separately instead.
Speaking of news priorities, now we know why the Paper of Record has failed to report on Air America's misappropriation of city grant monies earmarked for poor kids and Alzheimer's patients. Drudge reports that the Times would rather try to dig up dirt on the adopted children of Supreme Court nominee John Roberts:
The NEW YORK TIMES is looking into the adoption records of the children of Supreme Court Nominee John G. Roberts, the DRUDGE REPORT has learned.The TIMES has investigative reporter Glen Justice hot on the case to investigate the status of adoption records of Judge Roberts’ two young children, Josie age 5 and Jack age 4, a top source reveals. ...
A TIMES insider claims the look into the adoption papers are part of the paper's "standard background check."
I didn't realize that Supreme Court appointees had to pass a New York Times "standard background check". Silly me. I thought that the Times' job was to report news, not dig up personal dirt about the adoption of minors by political figures.
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Snip
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UPDATE II: Brit Hume reports at his Fox blog that the Times reporters wanted to look into the sealed adoption records, and that they had no particular reason for asking:
The New York Times has been asking lawyers who specialize in adoption cases for advice on how to get into the sealed court records on Supreme Court nominee John Roberts' two adopted children.There is no indication The Times had any evidence there was anything improper in the family's adoption of five-year-old Josie and four-year-old Jack, both born in Latin America. Sources familiar with the matter told FOX News that at least one lawyer turned the Times down flat, saying that any effort to pry into adoption case records, which are always sealed, would be reprehensible.
Well, we have anonymous sourcing, which doesn't make for a definitive statement. I'd prefer that the attorneys who heard this come forward and say exactly who did the asking. If the Times has asked attorneys to find a legal way to do something unethical and downright despicable, then we should hear who at the Times has made those calls.
That being said, since Bill Keller and his staff have already admitted to making inquiries about the adoptions despite having no cause to suspect anything unusual about them, then this has some credibility. If true, it demonstrates an even lower moral and ethical standard at the Times than previously suspected. One of my commenters may have been right to scold me about my comparison of the Gray Lady to the National Enquirer; that may be unfair to the latter.
Interesting personal note to me.
Who will bear the burden of this lira-lization? [lira is italian money] In the case of Argentina, the country was a net foreign debtor and thus, pesification implied that non-residents holders of Argentine dollar liabilities lost. But even in the case of Argentina, some of the dollar assets and liabilities were domestic and thus pesification implied redistribution of wealth from dollar creditors whose real assets fell in value after pesification to dollar debtors whose dollar debts were pesified and thus reduced as their were converted from dollars into pesos at an exchange rate value below the new market value after the move to the float. In the case of Italy, specific agents and firms in the economy may be net borrowers relative to the rest of the world but the country, as a whole, does not have a large amount of foreign debt.
This dissertation asks how, why and with what consequences states have forged ties with international migrants. Specifically, it examines (1) how, since the mid-19th century, Italy and Spain established and maintained ties with their emigrants to Argentina just as Argentine state elites endeavored to make nationals of these same people; (2) why these states competed to nationalize the same mobile population; and (3) the consequences of these efforts. The study draws on documentary analysis of migration and nationality laws, associated legislative debates, census histories, regulations, inter-state treaties, diplomatic records, administrative accounts, and on ethnographic observation of nationality application procedures.
No offense (I'm seriously confused) but maybe I've just been out of school too long. Or maybe (I live in Calif), they taught me from some wacky maps because I thought Brazil was in South America, not Latin America. You're probably the 5th person that's mentioned that today to me, mostly Brazil and Argentina. Or has Latin America come to represent everything south of the US?
The Making and Unmaking of State Membership: Migration and Nationality Policies in Argentina, Italy and Spain since the mid-19th Century (Expected completion: August 2005).
This dissertation asks how, why and with what consequences states have forged ties with international migrants. Specifically, it examines (1) how, since the mid-19th century, Italy and Spain established and maintained ties with their emigrants to Argentina just as Argentine state elites endeavored to make nationals of these same people; (2) why these states competed to nationalize the same mobile population; and (3) the consequences of these efforts. The study draws on documentary analysis of migration and nationality laws, associated legislative debates, census histories, regulations, inter-state treaties, diplomatic records, administrative accounts, and on ethnographic observation of nationality application procedures.
Don't know where I heard this but someone said that conservatives had short memories and this would just blow over.
I hope someone holds these scumbags feet to the proverbial fire.
Yeah .. somebody posted Brit's column - and he's still hot about it.
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Every time I think that MSM has finally hit bottom and cannot find a way to fall off the floor, some part of it digs a new cellar to dive deeper into.
UPDATE: Memeorandum has not yet posted a link to the Drudge story, but I am preciting blogosphere reaction will be intense. I do not know how many bloggers are adopting parents, or disappointed would-be adopting parents, but my guess is that the group will be well represented. I cannot imagine that anyone who has been inside the process will look kindly on the New York Times' attempt to pry open this family's most personal details, creating a public record that these children will no doubt be reminded of for decades to come.
UPDATE: Reactions beginning to appear. See here, here, here, here here, here and here.
UPDATE: Memeorandum has the thread up. I yield the floor to Professor Bainbridge:
Slimy SlimeballsI find the NY Times' reported effort to dig into the adoption records of SCOTUS nominee John Roberts' children totally despicable. It's just another example of how the MSM's overweening belief that they are the untouchable masters of the universe blinds them to the privacy-invading low-life scum that they in fact are. Putting yourself forward as a prospective public servant should not mean abandoning all privacy rights, especially when it comes to your children. Some things simply ought to be off-limits.
What editor approved this inquiry? Did Bill Keller say: "Sounds good to me?"
UPDATE:
One e-mail to the NYT on which I was cc'd:
Gentlemen:
As one who has represented the media as a lawyer for two decades, including newspapers, magazines, and network news divisions, and thus count myself a supporter, I am nonetheless deeply embarrassed and disturbed that – assuming accuracy of the Drudge report today – the Times’ investigative reporter is “investigating†[read: digging for dirt into] records pertaining to the adoption of Mr. and Mrs. John Roberts’ two adopted children.
This is unconscionable. Whatever alleged “newsworthy†value might reside in these records is vastly outweighed by considerations of simple decency. I understand that your reporters want a story, and no doubt would like to further a political agenda, but young children are off limits. Period. End of issue.
I sincerely urge you to countermand this egregious violation of privacy immediately. If the Times should publish a story based on information obtained from these files, I for one will lead the charge to castigate the Times publicly, widely, and often.
Thanks to DA for the cc.
I suggest people contact The Times' Public Editor.
UPDATE:
John Mark Reynolds and I now have a wager:
I will bet Hugh Hewitt (Lord of the Free Blogs) the adult beverage of this choice that in the next twenty-four hours a major figure on the media left will argue:1. The story makes them "uncomfortable."
2. The new media (blogs!) make such stories part of life.
3. Did I mention blogs made them do it?
4. The NY Times has the right to print the story. What is wrong with free
speech?
To be sporting, these assertions don't have to appear in one place by Noon, Friday, Pacific time. I don't think many will be rising to defend this bit of churlishness.
UPDATE:
Here's the stock answer being mailed out by the NYT:
Dear Reader,Thanks for writing to us.
While the public editor does not usually get involved in pre-publication
matters, Bill Keller, the executive editor of the paper, told us that he
would not stand for any gratuitous reporting about the Roberts's children.
He said that as an adoptive parent he is particularly sensitive about this
issue.In addition, a senior editor at the paper wrote, "In the case of Judge
Roberts's family, our reporters made initial inquiries about the adoptions,
as they did about many other aspects of his background. They did so with
great care, understanding the sensitivity of the issue. We did not order up
an investigation of the adoptions. We have not pursued the issue after the
initial inquiries, which detected nothing irregular about the adoptions."Sincerely,
Joe Plambeck
Office of the Public Editor
The New York Times
What is "gratuitous" as opposed to "appropriate reporting" on a nominee's children. Who were the "initial inquiries" made to and for what purpose? What does with "great care" mean, and how did that "sensitivity" end up on Drdge.
Looks like some staff got ahead of Keller and way ahead of public opinion, and the cover up is under way. But there's a lot of admission in the response --admission that the paper did indeed think it appropriate to dig into the adoption, and all the scurrying in the world won't obscure that.
I was so about to post that! I decided to scroll down to see if I was beaten to it :)
Anybody up?
Michelle Malkin coming up on F&F to discuss this with the other Snakehead (Bob Beckel)
Much worse than BS. . .
The very presence of these people should 'chill' every decent person. . .and bring on a 'fear and loathing'.
The Repubs have threatened - no promised - to 'get tough'; if the Dems get rough and move beyond the pale.
I am waiting for the 'big blast'. . .waiting. . .waiting.
These Dems deserve it so badly. . .I am waiting.
He talked about this last night on air. . .I hope he continues to look for the truth of this story. . .as in the 'who' of this story; wanting to know how they could get inside. . .the sealed records.
I heard him on XM. He was angry, I wish I could have seen his face.
He cut Jeff Burnbaum (think it was him) off at the knees when Jeff started to say it was okay to ask the questions.
whenever i am dressed in baby blue formal shorts, i gotta dance...
very colorful and my guess is that mom made the outfits but the nytimes won't print that...
rock on baby blue.
teeman
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