ABSTRACT
Two noteworthy episodes in the colonial history of Rio de la Plata were the socialistic experiment of the Jesuits and the English undertaking against Buenos Aires. The former illustrates the extreme view of the purpose of missionary work in the Spanish colonies; the latter, the persistent design of the English to establish their authority in South America. The Indians in each village or pueblo were subject to the authority of two resident Jesuits. Contiguous hereto are built the shops and workhouses for the different trades; then follow the houses of the Indians, disposed like stalls in a market-place. After the expulsion of the Jesuits, in 1767, the Indian population of the missions declined rapidly. De Doblas has rendered concerning the Indians a more favorable judgment than that expressed by Humboldt. The formal Indian municipal organization was continued with whatever functions had previously belonged to it.
