1820s–1860s
Building the nation — civil wars and the constitution
Independence did not immediately make one country. Long civil wars raged over what kind of nation to build.
Unitarians and Federalists
For half a century, the Unitarians, who wanted a strong central government based in Buenos Aires, fought the Federalists, who demanded provincial autonomy and a share of the customs revenue of the port of Buenos Aires.
Juan Manuel de Rosas, governor of Buenos Aires Province, held power from 1829 to 1852. His strong personal rule brought a measure of order but also repressed opponents; his legacy remains divisive to this day.
Caseros and the Constitution of 1853
When Rosas was defeated at the Battle of Caseros in 1852 and went into exile, a federal constitution was enacted the following year, 1853 — the basis of Argentina's current constitution.
Yet Buenos Aires remained at odds with the rest for a time, and true national unification advanced only in the 1860s. In this way the framework of the modern Argentine state was finally assembled.
Key terms
- Unitarians / Federalists
- Centralists versus advocates of provincial autonomy.
- Rosas
- Held power 1829–1852; his legacy is still debated.
- Constitution of 1853
- The basis of Argentina's current constitution.
Even after independence, people disagreed about what kind of country to build.
Some wanted a strong central government; others wanted each region to keep its own power. They fought for a long time. In 1853 a “constitution” — the country's basic rules — was made, and Argentina slowly came together as one nation.
Key terms
- Constitution
- A country's basic rules.
- Civil war
- A war within the same country.