Violence: The Conquest and the Colonial Order

This chapter begins with an overview of the population of the future territory of Argentina before the arrival of the Spaniards. It then expounds on the Spanish conquest and the characteristics of the colonial ties it imposed and of the society it established. Particular attention is paid to the process of mestizaje or miscegenation and the impact of gender differences. The role of the Catholic Church in the colonial order and the relationship between urban spaces and the rest of the territory, where the Spanish presence was weak, are also examined. The resistance of the indigenous peoples and the tensions of colonial society are described in detail. The chapter concludes with the Bourbon reforms and the rise of Buenos Aires as the hub of political and economic power.