Published online by Cambridge University Press: 12 January 2015
This paper attempts to establish a debate between alternative views of living standards in Spanish America during the viceregal period. Since 2009, a growing literature has shared a «common language» based on a similar, though not identical, methodology. As never before, this «new generation» of studies is built upon long series of quantitative data and international comparisons of nominal wages and prices which, in some cases, cover the whole Early Modern Era. Part of this literature also complements the examination of economic welfare using height as an indicator of biological welfare. Inequality is also quantitatively approached in one of the works discussed. In spite of significant similarities, some methodological differences lead to contrasting results. For the sake of simplicity, the relevant literature is divided into two views: «pessimism» and «optimism». It is my contention that the latter is more consistent with the available evidence.
Este artículo intenta establecer un debate entre visiones distintas acerca de los niveles de vida en la América española del período virreinal. Desde 2009, un número creciente de trabajos comparte un “lenguaje común”, basado en una metodología similar, aunque no idéntica. Como nunca antes, esta “nueva generación” de estudios se apoya en series largas de datos cuantitativos y comparaciones internacionales de precios y salarios nominales que, en algunos casos, se extienden a lo largo de toda la Edad Moderna. Algunos de estos trabajos complementan el examen del bienestar económico mediante el uso de estaturas como indicador del bienestar biológico. La desigualdad es estudiada cuantitativamente en uno de los trabajos aquí considerados. A pesar de semejanzas importantes, ciertas diferencias metodológicas se traducen en resultados dispares. Simplificando, la literatura más relevante puede ser dividida en dos visiones: “pesimismo” y “optimismo”. A mi juicio, la segunda es más consistente con los datos disponibles.
The research from which this paper draws has been financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (ECON2008-01989/ECON and ECO2011-26286) and a Tinker Professorship held by the author at the Columbia University in 2010. I appreciate comments and criticisms made by the participants at various conferences and seminars: Mini-Conference A Comparative Approach to Inequality and Development: Latin America and Europe (Madrid, May 2009); Session E5 («Latin America Economic Backwardness Revisited: New Empirical Contributions») of the XVth World Economic History Congress (Utrecht, 2009); panel on Anthropometry and Health of the Economic History Association Meeting (Tucson, AZ, 2009); conference New Frontiers in Latin America Economic History (New York, 2010); Session 6 («The Origins and Trends of Latin American Inequality») and Session 21 («Precios, salarios, desigualdad y nivel de vida en América Latina, 1700-1850») of the Congress CLADHE-II/AMHE-IV (Mexico, D. F., 2010); Session 2 («Crecimiento económico y niveles de vida») of the Congress Primeras Jornadas de Historia Económica de la Asociación Mexicana de Historia Económica (Mexico, D. F., 2012). Special gratitude is acknowledged to Blanca Sánchez-Alonso, Elena Martínez-Ruiz, Andrés Calderón and Manuel González-Mariscal. A close and long-running collaboration with Héctor García-Montero has been indispensable. The usual disclaimer applies.
Departamento de Historia e Instituciones Económicas II, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain. [email protected]
In memoriam Gonzalo Anes, who recently passed away, was one of the founding fathers of contemporary Economic History Studies in Spain. He was the first Head of the Department of Economic History of the Universidad Complutense (Madrid) and Director of the Real Academia de la Historia, among other distinguished positions. Without his support and encouragement, many Spanish economic historians would not have been active in this profession.