Steam Navigation in Cienfuegos regional development (1866-1898)

Abstract

The historical relationship between technology and society still offers multiple gaps in national historiography that need to be addressed from interdisciplinary approaches. This situation is revealed to be more complex from the field of regional and local historical research. Therefore, the general objective of this work is to assess the integration of steam navigation, as a technological practice, to the Cienfuegos regional society between 1866 and 1898. It was considered necessary to use the theoretical-methodological assumptions provided by the social history of technology. and C.T.S. studies; working specifically with the concept of Technological Practice. The research determines the factors that influenced the establishment and regularization of steam navigation in Cuba and Cienfuegos during the 19th century; organizational, technical and cultural elements that distinguished said technology in the Cienfuegos regional society (1866-1898) are analyzed. ). Furthermore, the effects of the aforementioned technology in the economic-commercial spheres, political-military control, the urbanization process of the town of Cienfuegos, sociability, leisure and daily life are argued. The study reveals its novelty in the factual order, through the unpublished elements that are exposed about steam navigation in the territory and the analysis of the most significant effects of the introduction of said technology in the Cienfuegos regional society.