1878–1885

The “Conquest of the Desert” and indigenous peoples

The expansion of the state meant the end of the indigenous world. It is one of the heaviest and most contested subjects in Argentine history.

A military campaign and territorial expansion

From 1878 to 1885, the “Conquest of the Desert,” led by General Julio Argentino Roca, brought vast lands from the Pampas to Patagonia under state control. Armies equipped with the latest Remington rifles systematically shattered indigenous societies.

Much of the seized land was handed to a few large landowners and companies, becoming the basis of the later export economy of beef and wheat. It was called a “desert,” yet a world of people most certainly lived there.

Indigenous suffering and a memory under debate

The Mapuche, Ranquel and Tehuelche were killed and driven out; families were torn apart, some were sent to camps, and others forced into labor. The loss of language and culture still affects indigenous communities today.

At the time it was justified by the Western logic of “civilization versus barbarism.” But in Argentina today there is a strong movement to re-examine it as grave violence against indigenous peoples — including voices that call it genocide — and cases have reached the courts. Statues of Roca are still defaced with “Roca = genocide,” and the struggle over memory continues.

Key terms

Conquest of the Desert: An 1878–1885 campaign that annexed vast indigenous lands.
Roca: The general who led it, later president; fiercely debated.
Civilization vs barbarism: The Western dichotomy used to justify the conquest.
Genocide debate: The ongoing debate over whether to call the campaign genocide.

As the country grew larger, indigenous peoples suffered terribly.

In the late 1800s, the army took control of the wide southern lands. The indigenous people who lived there lost their lives, their land and their culture. In Argentina today, more and more people see this as a very sad wrong and are looking at it honestly.

Key terms

Conquest of the Desert: When the army took the southern lands.
Indigenous suffering: The loss of land and culture.