1811-1870







Paraguay 1536-1811



Spanish expeditions (SEBASTIAN CABOT in 1527) exploring the La Plata region in the early 16th century intended to find a new route to Peru, such a route being offered by the Parana-Paraguay river system. In 1536, both the cities of Buenos Aires and ASUNCION were founded, by JUAN DE AYOLAS and DOMINGO MARTINEZ DE IRALA, the latter ruling Paraguay until 1556.
Buenos Aires soon was given up due to pressure from hostile Indios. The remaining population was moved to Asuncion, which became the administrative center of the La Plata colony. From Asuncion, new Spanish cities were established in modern Argentina, such as Tucuman (1565), Rosario and Cordoba (1573) and, again, Buenos Aires (1580). Asuncion remained the capital of the La Plata colony until it was split in two provinces in 1617, in Argentina (Buenos Aires) and Paraguay (Asuncion). The DIOCESIS OF ASUNCION had been established in 1547.
Since late in the 16th century the JESUITS were active in the area, establishing MISSIONS in Indio territory, most successful in the rain forest region of Paraguay and adjacent Brazilian territory, among the GUARANI. The oldest mission within Paraguay was SAN IGNACIO GUAZU (1616). The Guarani were converted to Catholicism and adapted to Spanish methods in agriculture and the crafts. There economy was based on communal property; the missions were economically competitive and successful. Their language continued to be Tupi Guarani.
With the growth of the colony in Argentina and the decline of Peru's mining industry (i.e. Bolivia's), Paraguay's strategic importance diminished, and the area was neglected by Spanish authorities. In 1721, a revolt of the COMUNEROS lead by JOSE DE ANTEQUERA was successful, Paraguay virtually independent for the following decade.
In the 1750es, the Jesuit missions came under attack by settlers envious of their commercial success and keen on forcing the Indios protected by the missions to work for them; the missions were dissolved by force, the Jesuits expelled.
In 1776 the VICEROYALTY OF LA PLATA was formed, capital Buenos Aires. Paraguay with Asuncion was allocated to La Plata. In 1811, Paraguay declared independence from Spain.

The economic importance of colonial Paraguay lay in providing a connection between Peru's mining region (i.e. Bolivia) and the Atlantic Ocean, an alternative route to that across the isthm of Panama. Because of this route, ARGENTINA (the land of silver) got it's name.
The craftsmen of Asuncion worked on supplies for Peru's mining industry; in addition there was agriculture on a limited scale. African slaves have not been imported.
In contrast to Argentina, in Paraguay the Indios and Mestizos continue to be the largest population group. The Spanish-speaking minority dominated political life.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from infoplease : Paraguay
Articles from Catholic Encyclopedia : Paraguay
DOCUMENTS
VIDEOS The Mission, 1986, cc, featuring the dissolution of the Jesuit Missions in Guarani territory in the 1750es



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 5th 2004

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