Sin responsables en el Fuerte. Trabajo y dirección de los albañiles (Buenos Aires, 1757-1790)

Abstract

The proposition is to inquire about the lawsuit that originated in the repair works of the corridors of the fort of Buenos Aires, to evince the complex and unclear structure of social relations within the labor process. The construction field experienced a particular dynamic in the second half of the 18th century, as a result of the policies of fortification and reform of the administrative system. Numerous public works that required a considerable number of craftsmen, masons, and carpenters, amongst others were carried out in Río de la Plata. However, little is known about the details of the socio-labor relations that had to be established for this purpose, nor is the understanding of the particular impact on the realm of craftsmen.

In 1757, work began on repairing the corridors of the Buenos Aires fort, yet the following year a crack was found, which led to a complaint by the officials of the Contaduría against the master-builder Pedro Preciado. The use of this judicial process from the colonial courts enables reconstruction of the labor process, duties, and responsibilities, as it provides the exchanges between those who command and those who obey. The succession of interrogations, presentations, and testimonies revealed the vague separation between those who were to direct the work and those who were to execute it. Thus, the judicial process initiated to determine who was responsible for the crack in the warehouses turned into a series of injunctions about who should control the labor process.