Carts y Bioceanic ground transportation: Buenos Aires-Mendoza rout in the XVIII century

Abstract

The wagon was the main terrestrial facility in colonial America from the XVIth century until 1850. One of the most important routes to connect Atlantic and Pacific markets was Buenos Aires-Mendoza. This paper explores this route during the late XVIII century, based on 16.000 wagon trips. This subject will be further studied in the paper “Wagon drivers and the origin of the bourgeoisie in colonial America” (in the next edition of Estudos Ibero-Americanos).