Cultural and political debates on independence and sovereignty in the early nineteenth century

This chapter examines discourses on sovereignty and independence in the Southern Cone during the first half of the nineteenth century by focusing on the role of letrados, or the lettered elite, in formulating these concepts. The essay emphasizes common tendencies across the continent but focuses, most particularly, on the countries of the Río de la Plata. By studying the writings of creole intellectuals, the essay explores the fluctuating notions of patria, independence, and sovereignty during the revolutionary period. It looks at three different moments and contexts: (1) the years considered to be the beginning of the process of independence (roughly 1810-1811); (2) the period of the wars (1810s-1820s); and (3) the years when the national anthems of Uruguay and Paraguay were composed, in 1833 and 1846, respectively.