Redefining Civilization: Investigating Argentina's Social and Cultural Dichotomy Through Domingo F
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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 Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] 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. ii 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. iii “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 iv 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. v 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. vi 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 vii 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