HIST 8B Chapter Notes - Chapter 5: Caudillo, Miguelist, Pampas
Reading Notes:
A Concise History Ch. 5:
- Even though they have liberal dreams of progressive countries, old habits of
conservative hierarchy, political violence and corruption make it impossible
- For years, spanish and portuguese systems relied on collective responsibility over
individual liberty and religious orthodoxy over religious freedom
- Race classifications are banished from census forms, but very few elites who were in
leadership everywhere accepted the idea of broad social equality
- Many church state conflicts
- Colonial traditions vs freedom of worship and separation of church and state
- Church’s dominant role in education vs. public schools
- Economic problems during wars of independence
- Mexican and peruvian silver mines: needed major injections of capital, but only
few banks and no one willing to loan money
- Lack of transportation and infrastructure: expensive transportation costs, no
capital to build roads to quicket trade
- Fragile new republics can’t impose taxes
- Patronage (giving friends and followers jobs in government) makes corruption necessary
- “Don Miguel” (hypothetical ex) uses his office to get benefits for his family,
political allies, employees
- System all based on loyalty, so those under him are expected to follow
him whichever way he decides
- In return, Don Miguel gets favors and honors from a patron wealthier than
he and also follows that person
- Supporters of Don Miguel would be called Miguelistas
- Highest patron of all: party's national leader: “Caudillo”
- Caudillo is second most powerful man in country (like president)
- Typically large landowners using personal resources for patronage or for
maintaining private armies
- Often war heroes who were masculine in their followers’ eyes
- Defined by their army of followers, not rank or office
- EX: Juan Manuel de Rosas: dominated Argentina from 1829-1852
- Rancher of great cattle frontier called the pampa
- Had his picture place on church altars and ordered people of Buenos Aires to
wear red ribbons signifying their support
- Those not wearing the ribbon might be beaten in the street
- Represented himself as a man of the people (identifying with hard riding gauchos
or poor black workers) and depicted his liveral opponents as aristocrats
- Wins patriotic glory by defeating british and french interventions in 1830s-40s
- History of spanish america during mid 1800s can be told as a succession of caudillos
- Constitutions were a great symbol of popular sovereignty, so people kept writing them
Document Summary
Even though they have liberal dreams of progressive countries, old habits of conservative hierarchy, political violence and corruption make it impossible. For years, spanish and portuguese systems relied on collective responsibility over individual liberty and religious orthodoxy over religious freedom. Race classifications are banished from census forms, but very few elites who were in leadership everywhere accepted the idea of broad social equality. Colonial traditions vs freedom of worship and separation of church and state. Church"s dominant role in education vs. public schools. Mexican and peruvian silver mines: needed major injections of capital, but only few banks and no one willing to loan money. Lack of transportation and infrastructure: expensive transportation costs, no capital to build roads to quicket trade. Patronage (giving friends and followers jobs in government) makes corruption necessary. Don miguel (hypothetical ex) uses his office to get benefits for his family, political allies, employees.
