Abstract

DE LA ORDEN, Gabriela. Immigration and marriage in Catamarca in the late 18^th century. Folia [online]. 2020, n.37, pp.65-86. ISSN 0325-8238.  http://dx.doi.org/10.30972/fhn.0374165.

In the late 18th century, San Fernando del Valle de Catamarca experienced intense miscegenation, a similar situation to that of the rest of the cities of the Tucumán governorate and of Spanish America. This paper examines immigration and marriage in the period 1765-1785 within the Rectorial Parish of Catamarca, assessing miscegenation and social mobility. Parochial sources, the censuses of 1778 and 1780, and other documents that are kept in Catamarca Historical Archives -including dowry receipts and testaments-, are analyzed and discussed. Immigrants of heterogeneous origin, socio-ethnic condition and economic status married to women who belonged to different groups of the local society. Immigration contributed, on the one hand, to the miscegenation and social ascent of middle- and lower-class women; and, on the other hand, to augmenting and securing the economic, political and social power of some migrants who mingled with local elites, giving rise to new lineages, some of which trace descent to this day.

Keywords : Catamarca; 18th century; immigrants; marriage; miscegenation.