Rivadavia, Bernardino

Rivadavia, Bernardino
born May 20, 1780, Buenos Aires, Arg.
died Sept. 2, 1845, Cádiz, Spain

First president of the Argentine republic (1826–27).

Active in the 1810 movement for independence from Spain, he came to dominate the ruling revolutionary triumvirate in 1811. He disbanded the Spanish courts, abolished censorship, and ended the slave trade. Elected president of the United Provinces in 1826, he continued to advance reforms but was unable to extricate his country from a fruitless war with Brazil and was constantly embroiled with provincial caudillos. Unable to win acceptance for a centralist constitution, he resigned. His cultural initiatives, including the founding of the University of Buenos Aires, were among his greatest achievements. Most of his later years were spent in exile.

* * *

▪ president of Argentina
born May 20, 1780, Buenos Aires
died Sept. 2, 1845, Cádiz, Spain

      first president of the Argentine republic. Although one of his country's ablest leaders, he was unable to unite the warring provinces or to control the provincial caudillos (bosses).

      Active in resistance to British invasion in 1806, he also supported the 1810 movement for independence from Spain, becoming secretary to the revolutionary junta. In 1811 he dominated the revolutionary triumvirate—organizing the militia, disbanding the Spanish courts, freeing the press from censorship, and ending the slave trade. In 1814 he was sent to Europe to secure British aid for the United Provinces of La Plata, the original provinces of Argentina.

      Returning to Buenos Aires after six years in Europe, Rivadavia, in 1821, was appointed a minister in the government of Martín Rodríguez and, in 1826, was elected president of the United Provinces. In Europe he had met and been strongly influenced by Jeremy Bentham and the French utopians Henri de Saint-Simon and Charles Fourier. Adopting some of their ideas, Rivadavia extended the franchise to all males at age 20, organized a Parliament and a system of courts, and supported legislation that guaranteed freedom of the press and secured individual and property rights. He earned the lasting enmity of the church by abolishing ecclesiastical courts and eliminating the compulsory tithe. His efforts to encourage immigration were unsuccessful, and his program of land reform eventually backfired, serving the interests of the landed oligarchy instead of the peasants. His cultural initiatives were perhaps his most lasting achievements: he founded the University of Buenos Aires, supported the establishment of museums, and enlarged the national library.

      Despite all these achievements, Rivadavia's administration was often in desperate straits. Involved in war with Brazil over the possession of the territory that later became independent Uruguay, Rivadavia was forced to continue the fruitless conflict because the Argentine people refused to accept the treaty that gave Brazil hegemony in that area. He was also constantly embroiled with the powerful provincial caudillos, from whom he was unable to win acceptance for his centralist constitution of 1826. Resigning his office in 1827, he left for exile in Europe, returning to Buenos Aires in 1834 to face charges brought by his political enemies. Sentenced to immediate exile, he went first to Brazil and then to Spain. His remains were repatriated in 1857, and in 1880 his birthday was decreed a national holiday.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Rivadavia, Bernardino — ► (1780 1845) Político argentino. Fue embajador de las Provincias Unidas en Europa. En 1826 fue designado presidente de la República y promulgó una constitución unitaria que provocó un levantamiento en las provincias. * * * (20 may.1780, Buenos… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Bernardino Rivadavia — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Bernardino Rivadavia …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bernardino Rivadavia — Bernardino de la Trinidad Gónzalez Rivadavia y Rivadavia (né à Buenos Aires, le 20 mai 1780 mort à Cadix, Espagne, le 2 septembre 1845), est un homme politique argentin, qui exerça le premier la présidence de la Nation argentine entre le 8… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Rivadavia — puede referirse a: ● Bernardino Rivadavia, político y presidente de Argentina. ● Partido de Rivadavia, uno de los 134 partidos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires, en Argentina. ● Comodoro Rivadavia, una ciudad ubicada en la Provincia del Chubut, al… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Bernardino (nombre) — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Para otros usos de este término, véase Bernardino. Bernardino San Bernardino de Siena. Origen Germano Género Masculino …   Wikipedia Español

  • RIVADAVIA (B.) — RIVADAVIA BERNARDINO (1780 1845) Premier président de la République argentine, Rivadavia joua un rôle important en 1806 dans la défense de Buenos Aires contre les Britanniques, puis appuya, en 1810, le mouvement pour l’indépendance à l’égard de… …   Encyclopédie Universelle

  • Bernardino — (as used in expressions) Bernardino di Betto di Biago Luini Bernardino Rivadavia Bernardino San Bernardino San Bernardino Pass * * * …   Universalium

  • Bernardino — (as used in expressions) Bernardino de Siena, san Luini, Bernardino Bernardino di Betto di Biago Rivadavia, Bernardino San Bernardino, paso de …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Rivadavia — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Por Rivadavia puede entenderse: a las siguientes personas: Bernardino Rivadavia, político y presidente de Argentina; Martín Rivadavia, marino argentino también conocido como Comodoro Martín Rivadavia; al ARA… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Bernardino Escribano — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda José Bernardino Buenaventura Escribano (Buenos Aires, 20 de mayo de 1790 Santiago de Chile, 10 de octubre de 1834) fue un militar argentino que participó en el Ejército de los Andes junto al General San Martín, entre …   Wikipedia Español

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”