Bilbao Merchant and Their Trade in the Eighteenth Century: The View of the Private Company and the Privileged Company

Abstract

This chapter discusses the activity of merchants from the Basque Provinces in the eighteenth century. Firstly, it discusses Bilbao, the biggest port city in the Basque Provinces, and the Gardoqui family as the case of private company. They traded with British America mainly although Spain and Britain were at war. The second part of the chapter focuses on the privileged company San Sebatian and Pasajes in Guipuzcoa. The merchants at the ports of Guipuzcoa engaged in the Royal Guipzcoan Companies of Caracas and the Royal Philippine Company. This case shows the activity inside the Empire. By focusing on local merchants, this chapter attempted to show the self-reliant activity of merchants, not only inside but also outside of the Empire in the age of mercantilism.