INTRODUCCIÓN: INLAND PORTS IN THE ANGLO-IBERIAN ATLANTIC: NEW APPROACHES FROM ECONOMIC, POLITICAL, AND SOCIAL HISTORY

Inland waterways had an expansive role in the economic performance of preindustrialand early industrial societies. The lower freight rates and biomass consumptioncharacteristic riverine trade allowed merchants to export bulky, low-value-to-weightcommodities distant nodes successfully compete global, competitive markets.As a growing literature has shown, economies endowed with extensive network inlandwaterways were better positioned benefit from regional specialization andSmithian growth.1 increasing integration markets China, Europe, other regionsbefore twentieth century was driven, among things, by fundamental organizationaland technological changes river navigation, such as improvements portfacilities, canalization, customs simplification, elimination barriers entry.2 Theadvent steam navigation strengthened productivity gains trade, makingupriver cost-effective further connecting inland expansivewaves global trade.3