The novo-Hispanic business of the Geraldino family. Commercial agents in the Atlantic trade

Abstract

The article addresses the history of Atlantic trade from the perspective of the families and the individuals who made them up. Thus, the work starts from the observation that the family played a central role in the Atlantic trade, since as an institution and instrument it helped individuals to cope with their environment, sought to perpetuate their values and ensured their continuity over time. In particular, the object of the research are the Geraldines, a family of Irish origin whose members migrated from Waterford, Ireland, to different points of the Atlantic coasts, such as El Puerto de Santa María, Cadiz and Veracruz. The main contribution of the work is to sketch the case of the Geraldino family, a Castilianized version of their surname, insofar as it reveals the introduction of the sons of foreigners (janissaries) in the Spanish-American trade, but also it serves to sketch their maneuvering capacity, their behavior before the American elites, their organizational capacity and their strength before the restrictions of the Spanish monarchy. The Geraldino family is, therefore, an example of the families and individuals whose actions guaranteed the functioning of the supply chain and, therefore, supported Atlantic trade.