Between 1870 to 1914 the Argentine economy performed spectacularly with a yearly average real growth rate of 5.94 per cent. Increased resource endowment in both land and labor, via migration, and openness to trade have been considered the two main drivers of this success. At the same time, The Argentine Republic passed a very advanced constitution in 1862 that contained important reforms for a market economy based on the rule of law. In this project we underline the central role of Argentine immigration in contributing not only to increase resource endowments, but also to lower trade costs boosting exports and imports. We also want to deem the role of economic institutions in both attracting immigrants and shaping the development during this golden age for Argentina that however did not last for different causes. The project wants to underline how institution quality and migration could have feedbacked to each other and both played a key role in the development of the New World, but at the same time it can shed light on the current policies for development.
