Domingo Sarmiento Analysis

In the late 18th and early 19th century many colonies in South America began wars against Spain in an effort to gain their independence. Eventually all of Latin America gained independence from Spain. Two key leaders in the liberation movements were Simon Bolivar and Jose de San Martin. After the creation of Republics Latin American politicians looked to the United States for support and guidance. Two such influential men were Domingo Sarmiento, President of Argentina, and Matias Romero, Mexican Ambassador to the United States. These four men all had varying opinions of the United States and different responses to the nation. This paper will argue that all four were justified in their opinions and responses to the United States. Jose …show more content…
Domingo Sarmiento was an Argentine activist, intellectual, ambassador and eventual President. Early in his life as an activist he was exiled from Argentina three times[ Bunkley, Allison Williams. The Life of Sarmiento. Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, 1952.]. From 1845 to 1847, during one such exile, he was sent by the Chilean government to Europe, North Africa, and North America to examine different educational systems[ Ibid]. This trip influenced him greatly and he became an advocate for implementing the education and social systems of the United States. In 1868 Sarmiento was elected President of Argentina and worked to improve it’s education system and social structure[]. Matias Romero was a Mexican politician and diplomat from 1862 until his death in 1898[ Jaffary, Nora E. Mexican History: A Primary Source Reader. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 2010.]. He served three terms as the Secretary of Finance and twice as the Ambassador to the United States during his lifetime. He played a vital role in Mexican foreign relations during the French invasion and occupation of Mexico, negotiating support from the US and raising public awareness of the plight of Mexico[ Ibid]. His hard work produced considerable results, even among Latin American States such as Peru and Chile whose representatives in Europe protested against the invasion and …show more content…
The US was the powerhouse of the Western hemisphere at that time, and had declared it’s power with the Monroe Doctrine. Sarmiento was inspired by US concepts of separation of church and state and it’s encouragement of citizen participational in politics. Romero was the ambassador to the US during the presidencies of Abraham Lincoln and Andrew Johnson. He hoped for military and financial support from the United States, despite the US dealing with the Civil War at that same time. The US military was undefeated and Romero expected the nation to follow it’s declaration in the Monroe Doctrine and prevent European powers from interfering in the New World. The US did come to Mexico’s aid and refused to acknowledge the French installed government as the legitimate government of the