The Congress of Tucumán was the representative assembly, initially meeting in

San Miguel de Tucumán San Miguel de Tucumán (; usually called simply Tucumán) is the capital and largest city of Tucumán Province, located in northern Argentina from Buenos Aires. It is the fifth-largest city of Argentina after Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Argentina, ...

, that declared the independence of the

United Provinces of South America United may refer to: Places * United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community Arts and entertainment Films * ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film * ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...

(modern-day

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the List of South American countries by area, second-largest ...

Uruguay Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...

, part of

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

) on July 9, 1816, from the

Spanish Empire The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...

Overview

Following the

May Revolution The May Revolution ( es, Revolución de Mayo) was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. This Spanish colony included roughly the terri ...

of 1810, the

Viceroy A viceroy () is an official who reigns over a polity in the name of and as the representative of the monarch of the territory. The term derives from the Latin prefix ''vice-'', meaning "in the place of" and the French word ''roy'', meaning " ...

had been replaced by the

Primera Junta The Primera Junta ( en, First Junta) or ''Junta Provisional Gubernativa de las Provincias del Río de la Plata'' (''Provisional Governing Junta of the Provinces of the Río de la Plata''), is the most common name given to the first government of ...

. The provinces had been moving towards full independence but royalist forces from the

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed fro ...

have had the upper hand in the

Upper Peru Upper Peru (; ) is a name for the land that was governed by the Real Audiencia of Charcas. The name originated in Buenos Aires towards the end of the 18th century after the Audiencia of Charcas was transferred from the Viceroyalty of Peru to t ...

and were threatening the revolution. On April 15, 1815, a revolution ended the mandate of

Carlos María de Alvear Carlos María de Alvear (October 25, 1789 in Santo Ángel, Rio Grande do Sul – November 3, 1852 in New York), was an Argentine soldier and statesman, Supreme Director of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata in 1815. Early life H ...

and called a General Congress. Delegate deputies, each representing 15,000 inhabitants, were sent from all the

provinces A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman '' provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions ou ...

to the sessions that started on March 24, 1816. Nevertheless, some territories that formerly belonged to the Viceroyalty of the River Plate did not take part in the Congress: the delegates from the ''

Banda Oriental Banda Oriental, or more fully Banda Oriental del Uruguay (Eastern Bank), was the name of the South American territories east of the Uruguay River and north of Río de la Plata that comprise the modern nation of Uruguay; the modern state of Rio Gra ...

'' ('Eastern Bank', today

) and other

Liga Federal Liga or LIGA may refer to: People * Līga (name), a Latvian female given name * Luciano Ligabue, more commonly known as Ligabue or ''Liga'', Italian rock singer-songwriter Sports * Liga ACB, men's professional basketball league in Spain * Liga ...

provinces, faithful to the democratic federalist project of

José Gervasio Artigas José Gervasio Artigas Arnal (; June 19, 1764 – September 23, 1850) was a political leader, military general, statesman and national hero of Uruguay and the broader Río de la Plata region. He fought in the Latin American wars of in ...

were rejected based on formalities;

Paraguay Paraguay (; ), officially the Republic of Paraguay ( es, República del Paraguay, links=no; gn, Tavakuairetã Paraguái, links=si), is a landlocked country in South America. It is bordered by Argentina to the south and southwest, Brazil to t ...

had already proclaimed its independence from Spain and remained isolated from the United Provinces politics. Representatives from Upper Peru Provinces (current

) were, however, present. The congress was inaugurated in the house of Francisca Bazán de Laguna, consisted of 33 deputies, and its presidency rotated on a monthly basis. Because the congress had freedom to select the agenda, there were endless discussions. On July 9, it declared the independence of the

, a name that was intended to appeal and eventually incorporate other Spanish American independentist regions that were not represented at the Congress. At that time, the President of the Congress was Francisco Narciso de Laprida, delegate from San Juan Province. Subsequent discussions centred on the form of government that the young state should have and were the Congress and the executive power should reside. The congress continued its work in Buenos Aires since 1817 and issued a Constitution in 1819, but the Constitution was rejected and the Congress was dissolved in 1820 after the

Federal League The Federal League of Base Ball Clubs, known simply as the Federal League, was an American professional baseball league that played its first season as a minor league in 1913 and operated as a "third major league", in competition with the e ...

Provinces of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos defeated a diminished Directorship army at the Battle of Cepeda, that staged the Unitarian (v.g. ''Centralist'') versus Federal conflict on the battlefield. The house where the declaration was made was rebuilt and is now a museum and monument. It is known as the " House of Tucumán".

Signatories of the declaration

* Francisco Narciso de Laprida, Deputy for

San Juan San Juan, Spanish for Saint John, may refer to: Places Argentina * San Juan Province, Argentina * San Juan, Argentina, the capital of that province * San Juan, Salta, a village in Iruya, Salta Province * San Juan (Buenos Aires Underground), ...

, President *

Mariano Boedo Mariano Joaquin Boedo born Mariano Joaquin de Boedo y de Aguirre, (25 July 1782 – 9 April 1819) was an Argentine statesman and soldier. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán which on 9 July 1816 declared the Independence of Argent ...

, Deputy for Salta, Vice-president *

José Mariano Serrano José Mariano Serrano (8 September 1788–1852) was a Bolivian-born statesman and jurist. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán of 9 July 1816 which declared the Independence of the provinces of the River Plate and presided over ...

, Deputy for Charcas (present

), Secretary *

Juan José Paso Juan José Esteban Paso, (January 2, 1758, Buenos Aires – September 10, 1833) was an Argentine politician who participated in the events that started the Argentine War of Independence known as May Revolution of 1810. Biography Early life ...

, Deputy for

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata, on South ...

, Secretary *Dr.

Antonio Sáenz Antonio Sáenz (June 6, 1780 – July 22, 1825) was an Argentine statesman, educator and cleric. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán of July 9, 1816, which declared the Independence of Argentina. He was the first rector of t ...

, Deputy for

*Dr.

José Darragueira José Darregueira (27 January 1771 - 1 May 1817) was a Peruvian-born statesman and lawyer. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán which on 9 July 1816 declared the Independence of Argentina. Darregueira was born in Moquegua, Peru and ...

, Deputy for

*Friar Cayetano José Rodríguez, Deputy for

*Dr.

Pedro Medrano Pedro Medrano (26 April 1769 – 3 November 1840) was a Uruguayan-born Argentine statesman and lawyer. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán which on 9 July 1816 declared the Independence of Argentina. Medrano was born in San ...

, Deputy for

*Dr. Manuel Antonio Acevedo, Deputy for Catamarca *Dr. José Ignacio de Gorriti, Deputy for Salta *Dr. José Andrés Pacheco de Melo, Deputy for Chichas (present

) *Dr. Teodoro Sánchez de Bustamante, Deputy for

Jujuy San Salvador de Jujuy (), commonly known as Jujuy and locally often referred to as San Salvador, is the capital and largest city of Jujuy Province in northwest Argentina. Also, it is the seat of the Doctor Manuel Belgrano Department. It lies ne ...

* Eduardo Pérez Bulnes, Deputy for Córdoba *

Tomás Godoy Cruz Tomás Godoy Cruz (May 6, 1791 – May 15, 1852) was an Argentine statesman and businessman. He was a representative to the Congress of Tucumán which on July 9, 1816 declared the Independence of Argentina. Godoy Cruz was born in Mendoza. He ...

, Deputy for Mendoza *Dr. Pedro Miguel Aráoz, Deputy for Tucumán *Dr. Esteban Agustín Gazcón, Deputy for

* Pedro Francisco de Uriarte, Deputy for

Santiago del Estero Santiago del Estero (, Spanish for ''Saint-James-Upon-The-Lagoon'') is the capital of Santiago del Estero Province in northern Argentina. It has a population of 252,192 inhabitants, () making it the twelfth largest city in the country, with a surf ...

* Pedro León Gallo, Deputy for

* Pedro Ignacio Rivera, Deputy for Mizque (present

) *Dr. Mariano Sánchez de Loria, Deputy for Charcas (present

) *Dr. José Severo Malabia, Deputy for Charcas (present

) *Dr. Pedro Ignacio de Castro Barros, Deputy for

La Rioja La Rioja () is an autonomous community and province in Spain, in the north of the Iberian Peninsula. Its capital is Logroño. Other cities and towns in the province include Calahorra, Arnedo, Alfaro, Haro, Santo Domingo de la Calzada, an ...

*Lic. Gerónimo Salguero de Cabrera y Cabrera, Deputy for Córdoba *Dr. José Colombres, Deputy for Catamarca *Dr. José Ignacio Thames, Deputy for Tucumán *Friar Justo de Santa María de Oro, Deputy for

* José Antonio Cabrera, Deputy for Córdoba *Dr. Juan Agustín Maza, Deputy for Mendoza * Tomás Manuel de Anchorena, Deputy for

References

Ministry of Education: Congress of Tucumán
{{DEFAULTSORT:Congress of Tucuman Argentine War of Independence Argentine historical congresses 1816 in Bolivia San Miguel de Tucumán 1816 in Argentina Defunct unicameral legislatures