Argentina 1879: The Desert Campaign and Indigenous Dispossession

In this episode of The Story of Argentina, Lucas and Luna explore the 1879 Conquest of the Desert — the military campaign led by Julio Argentino Roca that violently displaced Indigenous nations from the Pampas and Patagonia. They discuss the preceding frontier wars, the role of the alambrado (barbed wire) in privatizing land, the figure of the gaucho outlaw Juan Moreira, and the legacy of figures like Calfucurá and Namuncurá. Drawing on primary sources such as Roca's own reports and the writings of Estanislao Zeballos, they examine how the campaign was framed as a civilizing mission and its lasting impact on Argentina's national identity. The episode also touches on the 1886 Conquista del Desierto legal aftermath and the 1878 Law of the Alcaldes, offering a nuanced look at a controversial chapter in Argentine history.

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