To Those Who May Read This Letter: Powers of Attorney and Long-Distance Trade in Seville, 1570-1600

Abstract

This article examines how Flemish and German traders in sixteenth-century Seville resorted to the formalization of notarial documents to organise their participation in long-distance trade. The analysis focuses on a type of document in particular, the power of attorney. It concludes that, for these merchants, the power of attorney became a fundamental tool for the organization of their commercial connections in three different Atlantic areas: the western Andalusian coast, the Americas and the North Sea.

Keywords

• cartas de poder
• mercaderes extranjeros
• comercio atlántico
• sevilla
• siglo xvi.