Argentina Breaks Chains: Independence from Spain
Argentina declared independence from Spain on July 9, 1816, at the Congress of Tucuman, where delegates from across the former Viceroyalty of the Rio de la Plata gathered to formally sever colonial ties. The declaration came six years after the May Revolution of 1810 had established a provisional government, but internal factions had delayed formal independence. Jose de San Martin, leading military campaigns in the Andes, pressured the congress to act quickly so he could liberate Chile and Peru under the banner of an officially sovereign nation rather than a rebel province. The new republic immediately faced decades of civil war between federalists and unitarians over how to govern.
July 9, 1816
210 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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