The Emancipation of South America, Chapter VII: The Chileno-Argentine Revolution

What it is

This is chapter seven of a book titled The Emancipation of South America, published in 1893 and transcribed on Wikisource. The chapter, called The Chileno-Argentine Revolution, covers 1810 to 1811 and begins with San Martín taking charge of the government of Cuyo in September 1814. It compares the peoples of Chile and the United Provinces, describing Chile as agricultural with a territorial aristocracy and the Argentine people as pastoral and democratic. The book is written in English. The record does not name its author.

Why it matters

This is a later history, written decades after the events, and it is not a primary source. The passage that names O'Higgins describes him as a wealthy proprietor of the South, the son of the celebrated Viceroy of the same name, who was educated in Europe and worked with Rozas. Histories like this shaped how English-speaking readers understood the independence movements. Comparing its claims with documents from the period lets students check how the author framed the story.

Look closer

• How does the author's comparison of Chile and the United Provinces shape your view of the two peoples?
• Why might a later history describe O'Higgins mainly through his family and property?
• Which claims in this chapter could you check against a document from 1814 or earlier?