Redefining Civilization: Investigating Argentina's Social And Cultural Dichotomy Through Domingo

112 Pages·2015·4.54 MB·English

Florida State University Libraries
Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School
2012
Redefining Civilization: Investigating
Argentina's Social and Cultural Dichotomy
Through Domingo F. Sarmiento's
Interpretation of Benjamin Franklin's
Principles
Andrea L. Arce-Trigatti
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THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY

COLLEGE OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PUBLIC POLICY

REDEFINING CIVILIZATION:
INVESTIGATING ARGENTINA’S SOCIAL AND CULTURAL DICHOTOMY THROUGH
DOMINGO F. SARMIENTO’S INTERPRETATION OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S
PRINCIPLES

By

ANDREA L. ARCE-TRIGATTI

A Thesis submitted to the
Department of International Affairs
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Master of Arts

Degree Awarded:
Spring Semester, 2012
Andrea L. Arce-Trigatti defended this thesis on January 20, 2012.

The members of the supervisory committee were:

Dr. Edward Gray
Professor Directing Thesis, History

Dr. Robinson Herrera
Committee Member, History

Dr. Juan Carlos Galeano
Committee Member, Modern Languages

The Graduate School has verified and approved the above-named committee members,
and certifies that the thesis has been approved in accordance with university
requirements.

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This thesis is dedicated with an enormous amount of love and gratitude to my family. In
particular, the inspiration and passion behind this thesis is dedicated to the memory of a dearly
respected and noble gaucho: my grandfather, Pedro I. Arce.

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“Los hermanos sean unidos,
Porque ésa es la ley primera;
Tengan unión verdadera
En cualquier tiempo que sea,
Porque si entre ellos pelean
Los devoran los de ajuera.”

-José Hernández
Consejos de Martín Fierro a sus hijos
Canto XXXII, Segunda parte

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Coming from a family that represents both the gauchesco and European aspects of the
Argentine identity, I have forever been fascinated by the history of Argentina. As this thesis
gave me the opportunity to learn more about my family and the history of their native country, it
is a tremendously special project for me. Therefore, it is a difficult undertaking to put in so few
words the amount of gratitude and sincere appreciation I have for all of the individuals that have
guided and assisted me in the formation and completion of this project. Indeed, the educational
and professional growth that has resulted from the work put into this thesis is attributed to the
dedication, time, and effort put forth by these individuals on my behalf. For this I am forever
indebted. Thus, although I am limited with my expression in words, I trust that these individuals
already know the sincerity in my sentiments.
My thesis director, Dr. Edward Gray, is the first on this long list. This project
commenced with an idea in his Benjamin Franklin seminar and, with his encouragement and
motivation, was adopted as a thesis topic during my graduate studies. His extensive knowledge
in Early American history guided the research and exploration of this topic, allowing me to
investigate its relation to Argentine history and develop this connection into a thesis. Dr. Gray
has been an amazing mentor and advisor for this project and I am extremely grateful for his
guidance, advice, and dedication as my master’s thesis director.
In addition, the ideas formed from my interaction with Dr. Robinson Herrera and Dr.
Juan Carlos Galeano also form a significant part of this project. Dr. Herrera’s knowledge in
Latin American history and Dr. Galeano’s expertise in Latin American culture influenced the
exploration of the Argentine aspect of this thesis. I am sincerely thankful to both Dr. Herrera
and Dr. Galeano not only for the enthusiasm and interest they both demonstrated upon accepting
the position of committee member for this project, but also for the dedication, guidance, and
support they contributed to the writing of this thesis.
Also, for this project I was privileged with the chance to delve into the shelves and the
archives of the Archivos General de Entre Rios and do research concerning the history of El
Litoral. I have two individuals to thank for this opportunity: Professor Damian Capdevila,
director of the Archivos General de Entre Ríos, and Dr. Ana Maria Trigatti. Without their help,
support, and time, I would never have been able to partake in this experience.
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Furthermore, a very early version of the topic of this thesis was presented at the
University of Miami’s 8th Annual South Florida Graduate Student Conference in Miami, Florida,
in April, 2010. I would like to thank Dr. Lee Metcalf for bringing to my attention this wonderful
opportunity.
In addition, I owe many thanks to several friends and colleagues that constituted the team
of people that supported and encouraged all of my efforts in completing this project. This list
commences with my committed and enthusiastic writing and study partners: Carlos R. Galindo,
Naida Saavedra, Daniela Galindo, and Caitlin Murphy. I thank you each for the multiple writing
and study sessions in which we each pushed and encouraged one another to complete our
respective tasks. I also thank my International Affairs colleagues, in particular L. Boyd, J. Cook,
A. Forbes, A. Johnson, S. Lacey, L. Pon, and D. Salazar, who always defended my decision to
go “the thesis route” to others. Go team! Also, I owe a special thanks to my dear friend, Kayla
Szumowki, for giving me the opportunity to visit Boston and take pictures of Sarmiento’s statue.
Finally, the journey and adventures attributed to the writing of this thesis have been made
evermore memorable due to the love, support, patience, and encouragement of my family. I am
eternally grateful to my parents, Pedro and Beatriz, my sister, Paula, and my grandmother, Julia,
for listening to all of my ideas, for their advice, and for always being there. In particular, I am
deeply grateful to the “outside” perspective provided by my mother who meticulously read my
rough drafts and provided feedback which helped to clarify several points in the work. Thank
you all for believing in me and for giving me the push needed to follow my dreams.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
List of Figures .............................................................................................................................. viii
Abstract .......................................................................................................................................... ix
1. CHAPTER ONE ......................................................................................................................1
2. CHAPTER TWO ...................................................................................................................18
3. CHAPTER THREE ...............................................................................................................32
4. CHAPTER FOUR .................................................................................................................48
5. CHAPTER FIVE ...................................................................................................................66
6. CHAPTER SIX .....................................................................................................................85
Appendix A ....................................................................................................................................94
References ......................................................................................................................................96
Biographical Sketch .....................................................................................................................102

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LIST OF FIGURES
1.1 El Litoral .................................................................................................................................2

1.2 Domingo Faustino Sarmiento ..................................................................................................8

1.3 Biblioteca Franklin ..................................................................................................................9

2.1 Franklin, an engraving ...........................................................................................................30

3.1 Oliver Wendell Holmes .........................................................................................................42

3.2 Statue of Sarmiento ...............................................................................................................43

4.1 Indigenous Migration Map ....................................................................................................53

4.2 Nomadic Life of a Gaucho ....................................................................................................54

4.3 General Juan Manuel de Rosas ..............................................................................................59

4.4 General Justo José de Urquiza ...............................................................................................60

4.5 Sarmiento in Battle ................................................................................................................64

5.1 Urban versus Provincial Attire ..............................................................................................71

5.2 Facundo: civilización y barbarie ..........................................................................................72

5.3 El Cacique .............................................................................................................................80

5.4 Juan Bautista Alberdi ............................................................................................................82

6.1 Martín Fierro .........................................................................................................................88

6.2 Parade of Countryside Pride in Entre Ríos, Argentina, 2010 ................................................89

6.3 Gaucho Moderno ...................................................................................................................90

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ABSTRACT
Domingo Faustino Sarmiento has forever held the revered position as the Father of
Civilization in Argentina’s history. Fascinated by Benjamin Franklin’s ideas that proclaimed
that civilization came from a society of “self-made men,” Sarmiento thought it possible to apply
such a concept in Argentina to make it the most civilized nation in Latin America. Thus,
throughout his presidency, Sarmiento aimed to foster this social change by implementing the
ideas of Benjamin Franklin into his nation’s young government. Although this explanation is
widely accepted in Argentine history, very little research has been done in understanding
Sarmiento’s methods in adopting and applying Franklin’s views to Argentine life. Such research
is important as a different implementation of Franklin’s ideas could explain Argentina’s current
societal structure and development, and why it varies from what Franklin had initially envisioned
for his own society. This study investigates this topic by analyzing Franklin’s contribution to
American liberalism, and consequently the formation of the concept of the “American spirit,”
and the influence that these ideas had on Sarmiento and his vision for Argentina. As part of this
investigation, the personal and private documents and publications of Sarmiento are explored to
understand what led him to become the “Benjamin Franklin of Latin America”. Once these
points are established, the presentation focuses on Sarmiento's modification and implementation
of Franklin’s ideas. Through this research, it becomes evident that Sarmiento manipulated
Franklin’s methods of civilizing society and applied these teachings only to the places and
people he deemed fit. This adulterated application of Franklin’s principles eventually influenced
the dichotomous nature of Argentina’s urban and rural lifestyles that continues to plague the
nation’s progress.
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