Summary of "Sem8Unidad62"

Summary of Video: Sem8Unidad62

Topic: Constitutionalism in the first half of the 19th century in the Río de la Plata region (1810–1820) and the early revolutionary decade.

Main Ideas and Concepts

1. Historical Context and Crisis of Monarchy (1808)

The Napoleonic invasion of Spain (1808) triggered a crisis of monarchy and sovereignty.
Joseph Bonaparte was imposed as king but not recognized as legitimate; Ferdinand VII was absent.
According to pactist theories, sovereignty resided in the king; in his absence, sovereignty reverted (“retroversion of sovereignty”) to the towns (local municipal bodies), seen as legitimate sovereign entities.

2. Early Attempts at Local Governance and Juntas

In the Río de la Plata, cities tried to form local juntas (government boards) inspired by similar movements in Spain.
The 1809 attempt by Alzaga to establish a junta in Buenos Aires was suppressed, favoring conservative elements loyal to Spain.
Arrival of Viceroy Baltazar Hidalgo de Cisneros in 1809 maintained royal authority amid growing Creole militias and sentiments, especially after the English invasions of 1806-07.

3. The May Revolution of 1810

News of the fall of the Central Junta in Spain led Buenos Aires Creoles to pressure the Cabildo (town council) to convene an open Cabildo (extraordinary town meeting).
The Viceroy reluctantly authorized the open Cabildo but insisted decisions required consent of the entire viceroyalty’s peoples.
Debates in the open Cabildo revolved around:
- Maintaining loyalty to the Regency Council vs.
- Asserting that sovereignty reverted to the people due to the absence of a legitimate Spanish government.
Juan José Castelli articulated the theory of retroversion of sovereignty to Buenos Aires and its right to self-govern, though provisional and requiring interior provinces’ consent.
The May 25, 1810 meeting replaced the viceroy’s presidency with Cornelio Saavedra, leader of the militia.

4. Expansion and Consolidation of Revolutionary Governance (1810–1811)

Efforts to form juntas in interior cities and send deputies to Buenos Aires to legitimize the new government.
Mariano Moreno advocated for sanctioning a formal constitution to regulate government powers and legitimize authority.
The royal ordinance of intendencies (provincial administrative divisions) remained in force, creating tensions between centralizing and local interests.

5. Constitutional Developments and Political Structures (1810–1820)

Formation of the First and Second Triumvirates and provisional regulations to organize provinces.
The Assembly of the Year XIII (1813) created the position of Supreme Director (executive power).
The Assembly initially governed in the name of Ferdinand VII but gradually moved towards independence and constitutionalism.
Rejection of the Spanish Constitution of Cádiz (1812) in the Río de la Plata due to lack of American representation.
The 1813–1815 Constituent Congress in Buenos Aires aimed to declare independence and draft a constitution but only produced provisional statutes.
The Congress of Tucumán (1816–1819) declared independence (July 9, 1816) and promulgated a constitution in 1819, which had strong centralist elements and was adaptable to a constitutional monarchy.
The 1819 Constitution’s rejection led to a crisis in 1820, dissolving the intendency regime and allowing provinces to emerge as sovereign entities.

6. Key Constitutional Questions and Debates

Sovereignty: Where does it reside? In the king, the people, towns/cities, provinces, or the nation?
Constituent Subject: Who has the authority to create a constitution?
Form of Government: Monarchy (constitutional or absolute) vs. Republic (viewed with suspicion at the time).
Form of State: Centralized vs. federal/confederal systems (debated but unresolved in this period).
Modern vs. Traditional Concepts of Constitution:
- Traditional: Constitution as fundamental law of a corporation (e.g., monarchy, towns).
- Modern (influenced by Enlightenment and the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen): Constitution as a fundamental law guaranteeing rights and separation of powers, limiting rulers, and expressing the general will (Rousseau).
Provisional Constitutional Law: Due to political instability, constitutional norms were often provisional regulations or statutes, not fully sanctioned constitutions.

7. Important Figures and Their Contributions

Juan José Castelli: Advocated retroversion of sovereignty to the people of Buenos Aires in 1810.
Mariano Moreno: Called for the sanction of a constitution to establish government principles and limit power, referencing Rousseau’s general will.
Juan Bautista Gorriti (Deputy for Jujuy): Challenged the provincial and subordinate boards decree, defending city sovereignty and equality among cities.
José Antonio de Álvarez de Arenales (Deputy of Córdoba): Defended the intendency system as the existing constitution and argued against dissolution of intermediate authorities.

8. Terminology and Conceptual Clarifications

The word “town” generally referred to the political body of a city, not an abstract people or nation.
Sovereignty and independence were understood relationally among provinces, not as absolute modern concepts.
The tension between centralization and decentralization was prominent, with Buenos Aires often pushing for central authority, opposed by interior provinces seeking autonomy.

9. Concluding Notes

The period ends in 1820 with the collapse of the intendency regime and the emergence of provinces as sovereign political units.
The subsequent period (1820–1851) will focus on resolving the debates about republicanism, federalism, and the form of government.
The video encourages further study and group work on key terms like sovereignty, constitution, and federalism.

Methodology / Instructions Presented

For Students:
- Review the timeline of constitutional events from 1810 to 1820.
- Analyze key texts provided (e.g., Castelli, Moreno, Gorriti, Deán Funes).
- Understand and compare traditional vs. modern concepts of constitution and sovereignty.
- Prepare a synthesis on one of the key terms: sovereignty, constitution, or federalism, integrating readings and video content.
- Participate in synchronous class discussions to deepen understanding and debate these concepts.

Speakers / Sources Featured

Narrator / Lecturer: Unnamed (presumably a history or political science instructor) providing detailed analysis and explanation.
Historical Figures Referenced:
- Juan José Castelli
- Mariano Moreno
- Baltazar Hidalgo de Cisneros (Viceroy)
- Cornelio Saavedra
- Juan Bautista Gorriti
- José Antonio de Álvarez de Arenales (Deán Funes)
- Other deputies and revolutionaries from the Río de la Plata region.
Historical Documents Referenced:
- Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen (1789)
- Spanish Constitution of Cádiz (1812)
- Provisional statutes and regulations of the Río de la Plata (1810–1819)
- Constitution of 1819
- Assembly of the Year XIII (1813) documents

This summary captures the main ideas, debates, and constitutional developments during the revolutionary decade in the Río de la Plata region, emphasizing the complex interplay between traditional colonial structures and emerging modern constitutional ideas.