New Citizens for a New Nation

Naturalization in Early Independent Argentina

Bibliographic Data

ID2829079
AuthorsHans Vogel (corresponding author)
Year1991
Volume71
Issue1
Pages107
Publication date1991-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessNo
TypeARTICLE
VenueHispanic American Historical Review (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0018-2168 • E-ISSN: 1527-1900
PublisherJSTOR (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.2307/2516424
OpenAlexW4246420985
LanguageEN
Citations received15

T H E revolutionary regime that came to power in Buenos Aires in i8io was apparently the first in Spanish America to create and implement a means for the naturalization of Spaniards and other foreigners. At first, naturalization was a useful device for separating the revolutionary wheat from the counterrevolutionary chaff, but before long it turned into a symbolically significant instrument to assert and express sovereignty. Pressures were now exerted on foreigners mainly peninsular Spaniards to make clear political choices. In addition, the legal process of naturalization made both foreigners and natives reflect on their true identities. Finally, some revolutionary politicians realized that naturalization, which gave full citizen rights to foreignborn residents, could be an extra inducement to be offered to prospective immigrants. Most importantly, however, naturalization helped to define a new Argentine nationality. In what is now Argentina, from 1813 on, only citizens were entitled to benefits and rights previously open to any vecino, or propertied resident. By law, only men born in the Rio de la Plata were automatically citizens, but peninsular Spaniards and others could become citizens under certain conditions. Under the provisions of the several decrees concerning naturalization and citizenship, hundreds of aliens-including Britons, North Americans, French, and especially Portuguese-gained citizenship rights during the early years of independence. These new citizens had the right to vote in elections and to run for office on the same conditions as the native-born. There were few duties, the most important one being the defense of the Patria, but by a decree of the provisional executive in 1815 national military service was required of all free, male residents who had been living in the country for more than four years, whether or not they

Citizenship · Decree · Immigration · Independence (probability theory) · Nationality · Naturalization · Political science · Politics · Portuguese · Sociology · Sovereignty · Ukrainian · Argentine historical studies · Historical Studies in Latin America · History and Politics in Latin America · Indigenous Cultures and History · Law

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