1810–1816
The May Revolution and independence
With Spain shaken by Napoleon, the movement toward independence began.
The May Revolution (1810)
When Napoleon occupied Spain in 1808 and the king was taken prisoner, a question erupted across the colonies: if there is no legitimate king, to whom does authority belong? In May 1810, the people of Buenos Aires removed Viceroy Cisneros and formed a self-government, the Primera Junta (First Junta), on 25 May.
At first it acted “in the name of the captive king Ferdinand,” but this was, in effect, the first step toward independence.
The declaration and San Martín
On 9 July 1816, the Congress of Tucumán formally declared independence. But independence cannot be secured by a declaration alone. José de San Martín led a carefully trained army across the Andes to liberate Chile and then Peru.
Alongside Simón Bolívar, he is honored as a hero of South American independence and, in Argentina, as the “Father of the Nation.”
Key terms
- May Revolution (1810)
- Removed the viceroy and formed the First Junta, 25 May.
- Congress of Tucumán (1816)
- Declared independence on 9 July.
- San Martín
- Crossed the Andes; the “Father of the Nation.”
About 200 years ago, Argentina became independent from Spain.
On 25 May 1810, the people formed their own government. Then, on 9 July 1816, they formally declared independence. A hero named San Martín crossed the high Andes mountains to help neighboring countries win their freedom too.
Key terms
- Independence
- Becoming free from another country's rule.
- San Martín
- The hero who crossed the Andes.