Although consumption studies are garnering more interest in Latin American history, much work remains. In Argentina, domestic commodity production and commercialization persists as a focus, while the consumption of exports outside of the country receives only passing reference. A similar tendency holds true for foreign goods that entered Argentina, which included vital raw materials like coal, but also retail products. Despite conventional wisdom to the contrary, the value of imports regularly surpassed that of exports in late nineteenth-century Argentina—only in moments of crisis and recovery was this not the case. What would be gained, then, by thinking in terms of “import-led” or even “consumption-led” growth instead?
Capital movements were a major reason why imports surpassed exports. My manuscript employs methods from the “new” history of capitalism to address the social dimensions of these financial flows, thereby further loosening the chains of commodity-centered accounts. Moreover, my study borrows tools from consumption studies—such as the close attention given to how individuals use things, make choices, and ascribe meaning to economic behavior—and applies them to money-related matters. By investigating how different forms of money were used by various sectors of society, we gain fresh insights into the power relations of expansionism in Argentina.