PortADa

The PortADa project focuses on the processing and study of data relating to the arrival of ships at the ports of Barcelona, Marseille, Havana, and Buenos Aires between 1850 and 1914 —a period marked by the main transformations associated with the transition from sail to steam— as port cities became central nodes in globalisation and the international division of labour. In these ports, the arrival of ships was an economic, cultural, and political event, featuring prominently in the local press. The provisioning and unloading of these ships generated complex networks that enabled trade and traffic at local, regional, and riverine levels.

A. To create a database containing approximately 1.6 million records on ship arrivals at the ports involved in the project, published in the local press from 1850 to 1914. This open-access database will be freely available for new research in the field of maritime history and for the general public interested in exploring its content.

B. To establish a team of digital humanists specialised in the application of computational methods to maritime and economic history. In the medium term, this team will be able to support other academic institutions interested in digital transitions and the development and use of their own research resources.