A socioeconomic development of Argentina in the first half of the XIX-th century

Abstract

This article examines formation of socioeconomic structure of Argenti-na after the War of independence. The author focuses on the main fea-tures of a new social order: land boom, estancia expansion, ranching export, expansion of foreign capital. After the War of Independence, large land ownership, latifundists became dominant in the country. Creole merchants, while maintaining their positions in the export-import trade, began to create large estancias. The high profitability of cattle breeding, in comparison with agriculture, led to the transfor-mation of cattle breeding into the main sphere of capital application. Along with the oligarchy, foreign capital became the most important component of the emerging structure. English capital appeared in Ar-gentina as a trading capital, but began to invest in estancias and saladeros – cattle processing enterprises. Argentine industry – manufactories and craft workshops in Buenos Aires and rural industry in the interior provinces – could not compete with foreign goods. Argentina has become an economic colony: the export of cattle products in exchange for the import of manufactured goods.