The periphery as center

the southern border of the 18th century Spanish Empire

Abstract

This article purpose a reflection about the implementation of measures aligned to the “Bourbon Reforms”, by the Spanish monarchy in their ultramarine territories. The matter of recognition and territory defense will be analyzed, relating it to the “austral mission” of the Society of Jesus priests. The analysis will be targeting the Governorate of Río de la Plata, which was a peripheral region regarding the most dynamic colonial centers. That later gained a new significance on the colonialism. From the review of the literature and the analysis of sources, we will discuss, from a specific case, the possible connection with interests and needs between the representatives and local situation from a specific event, the Expedición de la Fragata San António. The expedition arrangements that took place from December 1745 and April 1746 was recorded in several documents from authorities from the Crown and the Government of Buenos Aires. The copies of those documents from the Archivo de Indias can be found at the University of Buenos Aires, “Juan B. Ambrosetti Museum of Ethnography”. Expedition data and its results can be found on the ship’s captain Olivares y Centeno’s diaries (1746), pilot major Andia y Varela (1746), Father José Quiroga (1746), as well as an anonymous diary assigned to Jose Cardiel SJ (1746), and a compilation of texts by Pedro Lozano from his Order colleagues, published in 1836.