On July 9, 1816, the Congress of Tucumán declared the independence of the “Provincias Unidas de Sud-América,” and drafted the oath of allegiance which all must take to the new nation, the “Provincias Unidas en Sud-América. ” How independence was proclaimed and celebrated and when the oath was administered in the provinces of the former Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata are discussed in the well-documented and interesting little study reviewed here.
Records are not available for all cities. Also the area under the aegis of Artigas did not adhere to the congressional declaration, and Upper Peru was unable to act because it was overrun by Spanish troops. However, the author briefly describes what happened in the provincial capitals and some minor cities loyal to the Congress and free from enemy occupation. He emphasizes the city of Buenos Aires, where the ceremonies were delayed until mid-September because of heavy rains. The account of the events in the viceregal capital is based largely on a rare pamphlet written by Bartolomé Doroteo Muñoz in 1816 and on newspaper reports, and it includes a number of poems written for the occasion. Significantly, the account does not make clear whether the Supreme Director himself took the required oath.
Salta was the last province to pledge allegiance to the new state, because, the author maintains, its governor, Martín Güemes, was in the field until December, 1816. Rural militia units were involved in the ceremonies in Jujuy and Mendoza, and the rural authorities in San Luis, but elsewhere the rural inhabitants evidently were overlooked. Everywhere the clergy, regular and secular, endorsed independence with enthusiasm. Apparently, the oath was expected to accomplish two purposes: to oblige every one by a “religious act” to defend independence; and to restore unity and harmony among the people. Breda has answered many questions, and he has paved the way for a more intensive examination of the circumstances surrounding the congressional decision of July 9, 1816.
