History of Argentina

Whether you are planning a visit or wanting to relocate, learning the history of Argentina can be a valuable activity and provide you with some useful information you may not have known about this interesting South American country.

Country’s Name Origin

Argentina history should start with the beginning of the country’s name. The first European to visit the country was Juan Diaz de Solis who ended up shipwrecked on the coast. He made contract with the population who had already called the area home, and they welcomed him with silver gifts. During his time in South America, the locals showed him the Sierra del Plata which was a mountain containing a large amount of silver. He returned with these gifts and news to Spain in 1524. People began referring to the area as Argentina after hearing this news because the name comes from “argentum,” which is Latin for silver.

Early History of Argentina

When Juan Diaz de Solis arrived on the coast in 1516, the population wasn’t very large. He stayed in the area for a number of years before returning to Spain. After hearing the reports from his visit, the Spanish government decided to create a permanent colony in the area. That colony just happened to be located on what is today Buenos Aires.

The Rise of Buenos Aires

The situation for this early colony was complicated because Spain insisted all of its trade and communication went through the port in Lima, Peru where the country had established a Viceroyalty (a term describing all of the area governed under a single viceroy who ruled in place of the Spanish monarch). Eventually, Spain created a second Viceroyalty that encompassed the areas of what is today Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. The area included Rio de la Plata which helped Buenos Aires become one of the most successful ports in South America.

Unfortunately, this successful part of Argentina history ended quickly because of Napoleon’s overthrow of the Spanish monarchy in Europe. Other changes around the globe, including the French and American Revolutions, also had tremendous influence on the history of Argentina.

A Major Change in Argentina History

These major events around the world helped move Argentina and the other countries of the former Viceroyalty towards independence. Starting in 1810, Argentina worked to break free of European control and encouraged the other countries to join it. However, the countries did not become independent for a number of years: Paraguay in 1812, Argentina in 1816 (although not recognized by England until 1825), Bolivia in 1825, and Uruguay in 1828.

Bickering within the country over its political and economic direction as an independent entity went on for quite some time after it split from Spain. These problems delayed the writing of the country’s constitution until 1853.

While this part of the history of Argentina may have seemed like one of freedom, the country ended up being quite dependent on resources and capital from England. That’s mainly because the country did not have a large enough population yet to fully support farming. Instead, the people most raised cows and sheep for income.

Economics and Argentina History

During the 19th century, changes came to the country which made a major impact on the history of Argentina. Agricultural techniques were part of these changes that actually allowed the country to more efficiently farm their fertile lands. More immigration into the country provided larger work forces that could make large scale farming more possible. Foreign investments were also pouring into the country and assisted in the economic changes that began sweeping through the country.

Moving Towards Modern Argentina

Around the turn of the 20th century, Argentina was receiving more foreign investments than any other country in Central or South America. These funds helped the country established universal free education laws so that all children in the country could receive a secular education. The passing of this law was a huge turning point in the history of Argentina and paved the way for a more educated population. By the time the Great Depression struck the United States and created problems for the rest of the world, Argentina had already begun to have a growing middle class.