The Caudillos

1
The Caudillos

• The Background to the Rise of Rosas

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Examples of Caudillos

• Martín Güemes
• José Gervasio Artigas
• Facundo Quiroga
• Estanislao López
• Bernadino Rivadavia

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Martín Güemes
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Background

• Born to a wealthy family in Salta in 1785
• Participated in the battle against the British in
  1806 and 1807
• Returned to Salta and joined the local militia
  after Buenos Aires declared independence in 1810
• Fought for independence with his fellow soldiers
  from Salta and became Governor of Salta in 1815

5
Güemes Downfall

• After defending Salta against Spanish troops in
  1817, he was decorated with many honors
• He continued to defend independence, even under
  the Unitarians in 1820, which offended many
  Federalists. Also proposed liberal reforms.
• By 1821, he was asked to resign as governor and
  he was assassinated shortly afterwards. In 1918
  his remains were reburied in the Cathedral of
  Salta.

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José Gervasio Artigas 1744-1850
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Early History

• Father one of early settlers of his rural town.
• Educated by Franciscans
• In 1797 he entered a rural militia called the
  blandengues, organized by the in 1752 by the
  town council of Buenos Aries to keep the Indians
  under control and rose to be captain.

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Role of Montevideo

• By 1797 the blandengues came under the control of
  Montevideo
• Artigas had been in control of the rural
  blandengues 17 years by the time Buenos Aires
  declared independence.
• In 1811 Uruguay declared independence with the
  Grito de Asencio

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Grito de Asencio
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Triumph of Independence

• Artigas and associates entered Montevideo in 1815
  which had been the center of royal opposition to
  Buenos Aires declaration of independence
• In the meantime, some 16,000 people had fled
  Uruguay to Entre Rios
• Finally Spanish governor forced to leave
• Artigas named himself the protector of the city

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Entre Ríos
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Artigas Break with Buenos Aires

• Buenos Aires was interfering with internal
  politics in Banda Oriental
• Artigas and supporters wanted Federal system with
  freedom of religion and a national government
  that gave equal rights to all provinces and BA
  did not accept this
• Buenos Aires had him declared a traitor and put a
  price on his head

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Artigas forced to flee to Paraguay

• In 1819 Uruguay attacked by Portugal.
• Artigas forced to take refuge in Paraguay where
  the borders were sealed.
• Spent the rest of his life there.

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Juan Facundo Quiroga
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Early Life

• Born in 1778 in the western province of La Rioja.
  His father was a landholder and Juan first
  worked as a trail driver.
• In 1816 he began to fight for independence with
  the northern army and was declared a hero.
• Soon he aspired to be governor and in 1823 threw
  out the governor.
• He became a shareholder in a local company to
  exploit silver mines in Famatima, but Rivadavia
  in 1826 gave these rights to the British.
• After Rivadavia resigned and his Federalist
  successor Dorrego was assassinated, Facundo
  became the Federalist leader of the interior.

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La Rioja
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The Tiger of the Llanos

• As leader of the Federalists Quiroga took on this
  nickname after he killed a cougar
• Also known for slogan Religion or Death after
  British declared freedom of religion.
• The future president of Argentina, Domingo
  Sarmiento, a Unitarian, was forced to flee to
  Chile and hated Quiroga, the subject of his book
  Civilization or Barbarism
• Defeated in battle by Unitarian generals

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Estanislao López1778-1838
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History

• Leader in the province of Santa Fe
• Helped repel the British Invasions of 1806
• In the wars of independence he fought under the
  hero Manuel Belgrano, creator of the Argentine
  flag
• He allied himself with Artigas and Francisco
  Ramírez, leader of Entre Ríos
• Then later allied himself with Juan Manuel de
  Rosas until his death

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Santa Fe
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Bernadino Rivadavia1780-1845
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Early Political History

• Belonged to the revolutionary triumvirate of
  1811. Ended the slave trade, the Spanish courts,
  ensured the freedom of speech.
• In 1821 he became the minister of government of
  the province of Buenos Aires. Founded the
  University of Buenos Aires, expropriated Church
  property and placed girls schools, hospitals and
  orphanages in the hands of the Society of
  Beneficence.
• Created the system of emphyteusis and borrowed
  1million from Great Britain
• Brought in British investors to mine for precious
  metals

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First President of Argentina

• Elected in 1826 to be Unitarian President
• Eliminated special privileges of the Church
• Established National Library
• Thrown out within one year yet remembered as
  great liberal patriot

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Questions

• What is the difference between a patriot and a
  caudillo?
• Who writes the history of a country?
• What can we learn from asking such questions?