The Good Ol' Colonial Days

The Colonial Experience:

                Spain ruled Argentina for 300 years; earliest settlements came in search for gold and silver. Settlements grew more rapidly than Buenos Aires and other coastal towns. The Spanish settlers forced many Indians in the Northwest to work for them by farming the land and weaving wool into cloth. Many Indians died of European diseases or were killed by Europeans. They also intermarried with Spaniards, creating a mixed white and Native population. Natives in the south kept control of Patagonia and the Pampa. Spaniards brought horses, sheep, and cattle form Spain.

During the 1600s, Spanish economy declined and the Spanish government was forced to sell big parts of land in Argentina. Rich Europeans and the Criollos (people of Spanish descent born in Latin America) bought the land and created large estates. (4) In 1776, the Viceroyalty of La Plata was established, which includes present day (Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay, part of Bolivia, Brazil, and Chile).  Buenos Aires became the capital of this Viceroyalty and began to thrive as center of trade. (5) In the 18^th century (1880-1914), Argentina experienced a growth era.  Argentina entered its “golden age”, an era of increasing prosperity based on the exportation of meat and grain, and on the importation of manufactured goods from abroad. (6) As we can see, Argentina struggled to maintain control of Buenos Aires and the rest of Argentina, but they established a Viceroyalty with Buenos Aires at the capital, causing Argentina to thrive as a center of trade.