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The 'Independence of Argentina' was declared on July 9 1816 by the Congress of Tucumán.
The May Revolution of 1810 followed the deposition of the Spanish king Fernando VII by Napoleon. The revolution terminated the authority of the Viceroyalty of the River Plate and replaced it with the Primera Junta.
When the king returned in 1814, Spain was determined to recover control over its colonies in the Americas. The royals were victorious at the battles of Sipe-Sipe, Guaqui, Vilcapugio and Ayohuma, in what had been the Viceroyalty of Peru. From there they planned to attack the bases of José de San Martín, and to make their way to Buenos Aires.
On April 15 1815, a revolution ended the mandate of Carlos María de Alvear and demanded that a General Congress be summoned. Delegate deputies, each representing 15,000 inhabitants, were sent from all the provinces to the sessions, which started on March 24 1816. However, several territories that had until then belonged to the Viceroyalty of the River Plate did not send delegates: the Banda Oriental ("Eastern Bank", today Uruguay), which was faithful to Artigas; Paraguay, which had already proclaimed its independence; and the Gran Chaco, still fighting the aboriginal resistance.
The congress was inaugurated in the city of Tucumán, with 33 deputies. The presidency of the congress would be rotated monthly. Because the congress had the freedom to choose topics to debate, endless discussions ensued.
The voting finally ended on July 9 with a declaration of independence. The president of the Congress at the time was Francisco Narciso de Laprida, delegate from San Juan Province. Subsequent discussions centered on what form of government the emerging state should adopt.
The congress continued its work in Buenos Aires in 1817, but it dissolved in 1820 after the Battle of Cepeda, which deepened the differences between the Unitarian Party and the Federales Argentina.
The house where the declaration was adopted has been rebuilt and is now a museum and monument: the House of Tucumán.

Contents

Signatories of the declaration

References

Signatories of the declaration

★ Francisco Narciso de Laprida, Deputy for San Juan, President

★ Mariano Boedo, Deputy for Salta, Vice-president

★ José Mariano Serrano, Deputy for Charcas (present-day Bolivia), Secretary

★ Juan José Paso, Deputy for Buenos Aires, Secretary

★ Dr. Antonio Sáenz, Deputy for Buenos Aires

★ Dr. José Darragueira, Deputy for Buenos Aires

★ Frair Cayetano José Rodríguez, Deputy for Buenos Aires

★ Dr. Pedro Medrano, Deputy for Buenos Aires

★ Dr. Manuel Antonio Acevedo, Deputy for Catamarca

★ Dr. José Ignacio de Gorriti, Deputy for Salta

★ Dr. José Andrés Pacheco de Melo, Deputy for Chibchas (present-day Bolivia)

★ Dr. Teodoro Sánchez de Bustamante, Deputy for Jujuy

★ Eduardo Pérez Bulnes, Deputy for Córdoba

★ Tomás Godoy Cruz, Deputy for Mendoza

★ Dr. Pedro Miguel Aráoz, Deputy for Tucumán

★ Dr. Esteban Agustín Gazcón, Deputy for Buenos Aires

★ Pedro Francisco de Uriarte, Deputy for Santiago del Estero

★ Pedro León Gallo, Deputy for Santiago del Estero

★ Pedro Ignacio Rivera, Deputy for Mizque (present-day Bolivia)

★ Dr. Mariano Sánchez de Loria, Deputy for Charcas (present-day Bolivia)

★ Dr. José Severo Malabia, Deputy for Charcas (present-day Bolivia)

★ Dr. Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Deputy for La Rioja

★ Lic. Gerónimo Salguero de Cabrera y Cabrera, Deputy for Córdoba

★ Dr. José Colombres, Deputy for Catamarca

★ Dr. José Ignacio Thames, Deputy for Tucumán

★ Frair Justo de Santa María de Oro, Deputy for San Juan

★ José Antonio Cabrera, Deputy for Córdoba

★ Dr. Juan Agustín Maza, Deputy for Mendoza

★ Tomás Manuel de Anchorena, Deputy for Buenos Aires

References

★ - Spanish Wikisource

★ Machine translations of the full text at College of Humanities and Social Sciences - North Carolina State University