History - English version - Buenos Aires

History

        The first foundation in 1516, Juan Díaz de Solís was the first European who saw the river of silver, which he named Mar Dulce. Besides a way to Mar del Sur (Pacific Ocean), believed in its muddy waters to see a gateway to the fabulous wealth of the kingdom of Tarshish, and Cipango Ofir, which follow n legends filled with gold and silver, stood up to the Northwest. His attempt to land on the eastern margin of the river cost him his life at the hands of the Indians Charrua. Four years later, the expedition under the command of Ferdinand Magellan raided by then renamed Sea Solísy found that the river of silver did not lead to peace nor to any future Aureus. However, in 1526, with renewed optimism, Sebastian Gaboto these margins again and established what would be the final name for water: the river of silver. He returned to Spain believe that this river was the safe route to the mythical city of the Caesars. A few samples of gold and silver won by the Indians and took enough to convince the Spanish Crown that the river of silver would not carry this name in vain. The Spanish monarchy sent then Pedro de Mendoza, under the title ahead of the Rio de la Plata, in order to walk in these lands, which he did on February 2 of 1536, stream of ships, a fortified place which he called Puerto de Nuestra Señora Santa María de Buenos Ayres. The peaceful coexistence of the early days with Querandí soon became increasingly hostile. On June 24, the former Buenos Aires was besieged by thousands of Indians. Ulrich Schmidel, Bavarian soldier and first chronicler of the city, remember that People did not have what to eat and was dying of hunger. " The situation was so terrible and so disastrous famine that were insufficient or mice, snakes and other vermin, we had to eat up the shoes and leather ... The fence was extended for eighteen months. Finally, in 1537, diagnosed with syphilis, Mendoza decided to return to Spain, leaving Buenos Aires in a garrison of 100 men. Caught him at sea death and his body was thrown overboard. Those who stayed in Buenos Aires managed to tilt the favor. Francisco Ruiz Galán, in command of the settlement, made up Their own hands the first planting of corn. However, on the orders of Captain Martinez de Irala Sunday in mid-June 1541, Buenos Aires was uninhabited. Under the renewed harassment of indigenous untamed, its inhabitants moved to Asunción. Within a pumpkin lined in leather, which was buried at the foot of the wooden cross, Irala left clear instructions for those who try again to settle on the river of silver: • If you make people do it for palisade fencing or near, so that they can not burn the enemies of night or not eating tigers, there are many. SECOND FOUNDATION In 1580, the Basque Juan de Garay, with the office of sheriff more, 64 men and a woman named Ana Diaz more Thousand horses, five cows and other livestock often Descended from Asunció n by Paraná, where today is the Plaza de Mayo on June 11, planted the 'tree of justice and, on a cow hide, set the level of the new Buenos Aires called the Holy Trinity, for retaining the old name the port of Buenos Aires. Eight days later, the caravel San Cristobal de Bonaventure, sailed from the city heading to Spain to account for the new foundation. On October 17 of that year, the ejidos were assigned to the new inhabitants of the city, whose payroll covers 250 blocks (40 for houses and gardens for the rest) of 140 square yards each, and separated streets by 11 yards wide. MONOPOLY AND CONTRABAND With eyes fixed on Peru, a source of materials and precious stones, for the Spanish crown Buenos Aires no great importance. Therefore, for two centuries, the city was ruled by a strict law prohibiting the free trade within and outside the port. The goods were shipped from Spain to Buenos Aires first pass through the Caribbean to Panama, then overland to the Pacific came to be transferred by boat to Lima, and finally, after traveling thousands of miles in carts pulled by oxen, arrived at Rio de la Plata. Of course, the merchandise, it cost the city more expensive than in Spain. Moreover, attacks by the Indians to transport it down from Peru, left Buenos Aires subjected to long periods of shortage. The logical answer was smuggling. Will also promote the Portuguese, Spanish Empire's historic rival, and formed a business, then capitalized England, the new emerging power in Europe. Meanwhile, the colonial society, which was enriched at the expense of the existing legislation was ruled by the Spanish and Creole white superponíaa other class that is wider segments of the population composed of mestizos in general were craftsmen and farmers. Sanitary conditions were simply inadequate. In 1605, the first major epidemic that raged in Buenos Aires. A contingent of troops, commanded by Antonio Mosquera brought the smallpox virus, and it spread to Buenos Aires. In a few days, fell more than 500 people, mostly Indians and mestizos to the point that the city was devoid of servants and labor. According to one chronicler, the wives and daughters of the Spanish Itself should go to fetch water in the river. The two great plagues of the city were the ants and mice: for the first book is coming down the walls of adobe, and the latter were an uncontrollable punishment. Nevertheless, in 1680, when the centenary of its foundation, Buenos Aires was already inhabited by some 5,000 people and ended up baking her first brick building, the rest remained adobe, wood and straw. Education was in the hands of the church and everyday life guided by religious celebrations, took place between masses, naps, evening rides, bullfights, billiard items and Cockfighting. Beyond the gardens, started the hostile world of Indus. All resources Spain implemented to control illegal trade did not stop, averaging the seventeenth century, Buenos Aires, thanks to smuggling became one of the major commercial centers of South America.