After independence? 11/29/2012

Transcription

1 Liberals and revolutionaries sought to strip the church of its immense power and supplant the state/individual with the power of the church They insisted on: - civil cemeteries and civil wedding ceremonies - public schools to teach republican virtues - free speech - individualism - seeking to end slavery and Indian tributes Church leaders (conservatives) thought these reformers were deranged and unstable battle lines drawn between good and evil After independence? Constitutions new on the scene since monarchical system involved centuries of teaching divine sanction High turnover in constitutions which caused much confusion in early to mid 1800s Some places offered individual ownership of previously communal lands to the Indians This backfired as whites and mestizos took advantage of the protection vacuum this created Some countries even eliminated the tribute that indigenous populations paid This caused problems as Bolivia and Peru had to restore it in the 1820s for government revenue 1

2 Regionalism, federalism, foreign intervention, territorial fragmentation of former viceroyalties, insecurity Regional strongmen, more than military / paramilitary leaders Gained power through force and democracy Support of different interest groups: ranchers, farmers, mine owners, landowners Practices of political modernity alongside traditional conservative roles No single caricature some lived in luxury, others did not Learning Goal Understand the challenges to the establishment of political systems in Latin America. Analyze the conditions for the rise of and impact of the caudillo rule in Argentina and Mexico. Write a question based on each goal? Potential Exam Questions 1. Socio-political conditions caused the rise and development of the caudillo rule in Latin America during the period immediately after the wars of independence. With reference to two countries of the region, to what extent do you agree with this statement? 2. To what extent did the liberal versus conservative ideological backdrop contribute to the success of the caudillos? 2

3 Personalismo ruling by the force of personality Military typically some kind of background whether official general or guerilla chief Criollo/Mestizo from old landed aristocracy or gaining power rising through military ranks Patron many coming from environment of the hacienda system (though not necessarily as the landowner) where they were accustomed to large amounts of power and dispensed favors and justice in a patriarchal way 1. Wealth seeking sometimes acquiring it in subtle ways, other times stripping it from others (see Facundo Quiroga) 2. Favor trading entire families supported a caudillo in exchange for positions, exclusive contracts, and monopolies on imports (enforced by caudillo strength) 3. Propaganda monuments constructed, rallies and parades held, extravagant uniforms and military displays The generals [and early caudillos] imposed arbitrary limits upon the peoples: they were the creators of the history of the Americas; they impressed the crowds with pomp and pageantry, by military displays as brilliant and gaudy as the processions of the Roman Catholic Church, by uniforms, medals, and military order. They labeled themselves Regenerators, Restorers, Protectors - Francisco Garcia Calderon ( ), Peruvian historian 3

4 One word sums up the aggressiveness, insensitivity, invulnerability, and other attributes of the macho: power. It is force without the discipline of any notion of order: arbitrary power, the will without reins and without a set course Octavio Paz The landowner wanted labor, loyalty, and service in peace and war. The peon wanted subsistence and security. The estanciero therefore was a protector, possessor of sufficient power to defend his dependents against marauding bands, recruiting sergeants, and rival hordes. He is also a provider, who developed and defended local resources, and could give employment, food, and shelter And these individual alliances were extended into a social pyramid, as patrons in turn became clients to more powerful men, until the peak of power was reached and all became clients of a superpatron, the caudillo. - John Lynch, Rosas Caudillo Landowner 1 Landowner 2 Landowner 3 Peon 1 Peon 2 Peon 3 Peon 4 Peon 5 Peon 6 Peon 7 Peon 8 Peon 9 Peon 10. 4

5 Peons Former soldiers of the independence movements Became military support for caudillos Diversity Among Caudillos Some had support of economic interests Others had support of lower classes or Indians Some were humble, like Raphael Carrera of Guatemala Others, like Martin Miguel de Guemes in northern Argentina fiercly defended his rights against the centralismo of Buenos Aires This led to the foundation of Uruguay 1) What did post-independence Liberals want? 2) What did Caudillos want? 3) Were Caudillos liberal or conservative? 4) Who would support Caudillos? Where? 5) Why would they give this loyalty? Let s look more closely at an example. 5

6 Argentina independence came in 1816 Until 1829, centralists tried to unite the new nation from Buenos Aires while people to the interior of the country wished to govern themselves in a loose federation of provinces *sound familiar?* Experienced a series of presidents and congresses between independence and 1829 while losing large sections of territory and fighting a war with Brazil A father of Argentine independence and president from Believed in foreign contact, investment, free trade, and immigration Promoted intellectual development supporting the founding of the University of Buenos Aires Sought to separate church from state Not an independence hero like other caudillos An estancia owner from the interior in gaucho territory Had his own troops whom he protected and rewarded in return for service in 1820 even fought the capital s authority with his small army Rosas rose to power in the late 1820s, as the large conservative elements in Argentina were suspicious of foreigners, Rivadavia s centralizing Constitution of 1826, and liberal changes involving the Church and society 6

7 By 1835 Rosas had fought his way to the top by consolidating power and loyalty Ruled from Buenos Aires but allowed interior autonomy as far as it was convenient for him (and not allowing other rival Caudillos too much power there) Pressed for conquering of Indian lands which were then sold at low prices to estancieros As you know, the dispossessed (poor) are always inclined to rise against the rich and powerful. So I thought it important to gain a decisive influence over this class in order to control and direct it. Rosas in a letter Enforced labor discipline on estancias through strict punishment and torture Recalled the Jesuits from exile and returned educational system to them Used both written and parade propaganda His wife Encarnacion Ezcurra was a public figure (somewhat like Eva Peron) who rallied support for Rosas He separated the world into rosistas and anti-rosistas and terrorized those who didn t support him Constantly trying to gain control of politics in Uruguay, fighting with Brazilian neighbors, and dealing with British and French blockades of Buenos Aires as reprisal for his tariffs and mistreatment of English and French citizens living in Argentina Eliminated elements of free press Wanted to limit immigration Arbitrary arrests of opponents Violence and executions reached a peak in and were carried out by a secret society called the Mazorca Need a Bill of Rights?! Question: Why would conservatives (wealthy elites and church) support the rule of Rosas? 7

8 While controlling Buenos Aires with a strong fist, still faced opposition from other caudillos like Justo Jose de Urquiza who overthrew him in 1852 Urquiza was helped by a coalition of anti-rosista interests including exiles from abroad, Uruguayans, British, French, and new immigrant businessmen also pushed for reform by traditional farmers experiencing decline in the beef industry Ironically Rosas fled to England where he lived as a country gentleman until his death in 1877 With partners, read the primary sources for each of the following. Make notes based on the second guiding question, and present to each other the evidence you found in each. Juan Facundo Quiroga Santa Anna So if Caudillos provided order and stability, AND provided food, shelter, employment, protection for people under them what s the problem? 8