Juan Manuel Rosas & Jose FranciaGroup 17: Natalia Freeman, Jordan Steger, & Mario Montenero

Juan Manuel Rosas

• Rosas was born in Buenos Aries, Argentina on March 30, 1793.

• Rosas was was a conservative Argentine politician. He governed Buenos Aries from 1829-1832, starting at the age of 36.

• He governed Buenos Aries again from 1835 – 1852.

Juan Manuel Rosas – Early Life• When he was 22, Rosas established a meat-salting plant.

The business became so successful, that local ranchers were afraid that it would become more popular than theirs, and eventually laws were passed to end his plant.

• After that slight hindrance, Rosas bought a large amount of land and began to live the typical life of a farmer. However, instead of fighting the gauchos, or cowboys, he became one of them.

• Rosas gained the respect and trust of the gauchos and when a Civil War broke out in 1820, he organized them in an effort to restore peace, and became nationally recognized for it.

Juan Manuel Rosas – Gains Power• In 1829, after Lavalle’s army murdered Manuel Dorrego,

(the head of government in Buenos Aries) and Rosas was elected into the position. Starting then, he was the governor of Buenos Aries.

• His first term was successful. He had a solid reputation, and was a popular ruler.

• Although he did well as governor, he then decided against running for a second term, however the public still supported him and he remained a strong leader.

• In later years, Rosas came in and out of power in Buenos Aries.

Juan Manuel Rosas – In PowerPositive Impact: Caudill0 in Latin America:

• During his time in power, Rosas was able to provide an efficient government.

• Rosas also was able to strengthen the economy.

• There were serious efforts made by Rosas to restore peace and order to Buenos Aries.

• Rosas was a caudillo, meaning that he was a political-military leader at the head of an authoritarian power. In other words, Rosas was a dictator.

Juan Manuel Rosas – In Power• In 1835, Rosas was offered la suma del poder.

This gave him total power with no oversight. It was then that his dictatorial regime began.

• To enforce the dictator's wishes there was a secret organization called the Mazorcas. This was a militia that tortured and sometimes even murdered Rosas’ opponents.

• Rosas did his best to portray himself as a man of the people. He related to the gauchos and even allowed the jesuits back into the country. This gained him even more support.

Juan Manuel Rosas – In Power

• To the people, Rosa claimed to be a Federalist. However, he was actually a centralist, and he established unity through tyranny.

• His rule was extremely violent, and he killed everyone that opposed his rule.

• Rosas also hung portraits of himself in churches and other public places. He even had a following. These people called themselves Rosistas.

The End of Juan Manuel Rosas• Towards the end of Rosas’

reign, many of his followers turned on him.

• General Urquiza organized an army with the help or Brazil and Uruguay to overthrow him, and in 1852 during the Battle of Caseros, they succeeded and Rosas was no longer in power.

• Rosas died in 1877, at the age of 84.

Jose Francia

• Jose Francia was born on January 6, 1776 in Yaguarón, Paraguay.

• He was the first leader of Paraguay after the country gained its independence from Spain. Francia ran the country with little to no outside influence starting in 1814 up untill 1840.

Jose Francia – Early Life• Francia was one of the few

men in the country with any significant education as he was a doctor of theology and master of philosophy.

• He spoke five languages including; Guarani, Spanish, French, Latin and some English.

• When Paraguay's independence was declared on May 15, 1811, he was appointed secretary to the national junta, or congress.

Jose Francia – In Power• On October 1, 1813 congress named Francia as an

alternate consul for a year.

• On July 1, 1814 Francia banned Spaniards from marrying each other. They were forced to wed Indians, Blacks, or Mulattoes.

• On October 1, 1814 Congress named him Consul of Paraguay giving him absolute powers for three years.

• On June 1, 1816 he sought and received absolute control over the country for life. During the next 24 years, he ran the country with the aid of only three other people.

Jose Francia – In Power• According to some historians, the congresses were

actually very progressive for the era.• Francia helped to create one of the first preindustrial

societies in Latin America.• By closing the borders to free trade, Francia allowed

Paraguayan factories to open and begin producing manufactured goods.

• To this day, Paraguay's economy has never reached the same threshold of industrialization as it did under Francia and his successors.

• He outlawed all opposition and abolished the inquisition and established a secret police force.

• Franica abolished higher education because he saw the need to spend more money in the military in order to defend Paraguayan independence from those that did not recognize it such as Argentina.

Jose Francia – In Power• On June 1821, a letter detailing an anti-Francia conspiracy

was found. Francia had all 300 of the involved Spaniards arrested, and made them stand in the plaza while he read the letter out loud.

• In 1828, Francia made state education compulsory for all males, and he ignored the private schools

• During 1836, Francia opened Paraguay's first public library.• Francia frowned on excessive possessions or festivities.• He banned church processions and used confessional boxes

as sentry posts.• Francia closed the borders of the country to both people and

trade (including river trade with neighboring Argentina, from which Paraguay had broken off during the Wars of Independence) he did this to prevent national debt.

• Francia's later years were known for their seemingly arbitrary rulings.

Jose Francia – Interesting Facts• Francia ordered all dogs in

Paraguay to be shot.

• Not only did everyone have to raise their hat when he passed, but those without hats had to carry brims to raise.

• When Francia died in 1840, his body was fed to caiman and his furniture burnt.

• Although his reputation was negative, even today he is considered a national hero