Agriculture and the Upper Plata: The Tobacco Trade, 1780–1865

The disintegration of the tobacco trade in the Upper Plata of the 1800s provides a striking example of economic progress hindered by political conflict—a common occurrence in Latin American history. The exportation of tobacco from this interior region created a focus for a coherent and relatively successful commercial infrastructure during the late colonial era. The post-independence regimes could not, however, create the stability necessary for the growth and maintenance of the tobacco trade. In this article, Dr. Whigham analyzes the balance between economic interests and political constraints in the Upper Plata between 1780 and 1865, and demonstrates how these factors interacted to disrupt the potential for a sizable commerce in tobacco.