1814-1830 1870-1918







Uruguay 1830-1870


In 1830 a constitution was passed, and General FRUCTUOSO RIVERA elected first president of Uruguay. The years 1835-1851 were Marked by political instability, coups, coup attempts, a civil war between the BLANCOS (whites, the conservatives) and COLORADOS (coloureds, the liberals), in which political maverick GUISEPPE GARIBALDI played a role (1842-1846). In 1864, Brazil invaded to press for the payment of damages inflicted on Brazilian citizens; Uruguayan General VENANCIO FLORES (Col.) toppled President ATANAZIO CRUZ AGUIRRE (Blanco). When Paraguay, under Dictator Francisco Solano Lopez, intervened on the side of the Blancos, the TRIPARTITE WAR between Paraguay on one side and Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay on the other broke out (1865-1870).
Early in the 19th century the remaining Indio population was decimated and the interior opened for cattle ranching, Uruguay being GAUCHO country. Slavery was abolished in 1830/1843. In 1847 Montevideo became seat of two auxiliary bishops, preparing the country for ecclesiastical separation from Buenos Aires. In 1849, the UNIVERSITY OF MONTEVIDEO was founded. Swiss immigrants established a Swiss colony in 1869, which was to have a lasting impact, as Uruguay was to be nicknamed LITTLE SWITZERLAND. In 1867 the Bolsa de Valores (Montevideo Stock Exchange) was established. Montevideo got her first horse-drawn tramway in 1867.
In 1855, 1858 and again in 1868 US troops (in 1855 also European troops) landed to protect American (European) interests in times of political instability.






EXTERNAL
FILES 		Articles from infoplease : Uruguay, Montevideo
Articles from Catholic Encyclopedia : Uruguay
Library of Congress, Country Studies : Uruguay
Links to Uruguay's history from about.com , from looksmart and from latinoconnect
Garibaldi in South America, from The Anthony P. Campanella Collection of Giuseppe Garibaldi at Univ. of South Carolina
Minor Military Deployments and Actions, from Simonides Warzone, on US troops Deployments 1833-1992
DOCUMENTS Map : Confederation Argentine et Republique Oriental de l'Uruguay, from Univ. of South Carolina, map one time property of Garibaldi
Coins of Uruguay : 19th Century, from Uruguay Coin Collection Page
REFERENCE Article : Uruguay, in : The American Annual Cyclopaedia and Register of Important Events 1864 p.806 [G]



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on September 1st 2007

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