The French in the Viceroyalty of the Rí­o de la Plata

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to study the French in the Viceroyalty of the Rí­o de la Plata from the perspective of the colonial authorities. Documentation is analyzed from the superior government, the Cabildo, and justice courts to deduce how the French were seen and treated by their neighbours and the colonial institutions: until the beginning of the French Revolution the image of the French was, mainly, positive. There are nearly no conflicts conserved in the colonial archives caused by this group in the Viceroyalty. With the Revolution, however, the French converted in suspects and targets of surveillance, punishment and expulsion.