Argentina 1880: The Roca Presidency and National Consolidation

In 1880, after decades of civil war between Buenos Aires and the interior provinces, Argentina finally achieved a stable national state. This episode focuses on the presidency of Julio Argentino Roca (1880–1886) and the 'Conquest of the Desert' campaign that expanded Argentine territory into Patagonia. We explore how Roca's policies of positivism and European immigration transformed the country, the violent dispossession of indigenous peoples like the Mapuche and Ranquel, and the economic boom that followed—built on wool, wheat, and British investment. We also discuss the Federalization of Buenos Aires as the national capital, and the tensions between liberal elites and caudillo traditions that persisted. Specific events include the 1878–79 Desert Campaign (Conquista del Desierto), the 1880 Revolution led by Carlos Tejedor, and the Ley de Residencia of 1902. Key figures include Julio Argentino Roca, his brother General Rudecindo Roca, indigenous leaders Namuncurá and Sayhueque, and intellectuals like Domingo Faustino Sarmiento and Estanislao Zeballos.

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