Page 64 - Across the Andes: Chile’s Atacama Desert & Argentina’s Northwest

Montevideo in 1726 and sought to capture Colonia del Sacramento. In 1750, Spain and Portugal
signed the Treaty of Madrid which gave control to Spain, though a local government was
established and land was given to the settlers.

By the end of the 18th century, the land was divided amongst cattle ranchers and used to raise
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Montevideo and the surrounding areas, of which approximately 30% were African slaves.
During the early 19th century, there were ongoing battles for colonial rule between the British,
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1806 was successful but the city was quickly liberated by the Spanish and the second attempt
was unsuccessful.

Independence

In 1810, following the abdication of the Spanish throne to Napoleon, the May Revolution took
place which resulted in the end of the Spanish Viceroyalty and the creation of the United
Provinces of Rio de la Plata, though the people remained divided between those who sought
independence and those who remained loyal to the Spanish crown.

In 1811, Jose Gervasio Artigas Arnal, sometimes called “the father of Uruguayan nationhood,”
called for a war against Spanish rule and, with the help of Buenos Aires, defeated the
Spaniards on May 18, 1811 at the Battle of Las Piedras. They began the Siege of Montevideo, at
which point the Spanish viceroy sought help from the Portuguese by asking them to invade the
Banda Oriental from Brazil. Buenos Aires feared they would lose the territory to the Portuguese
and made peace with the Spanish. When the Portuguese withdrew, Montevideo was left under
the control of the Royalists, which Artigas and his followers saw as a betrayal by Buenos Aires.

Artigas successfully led the second Siege of Montevideo in 1813 and took part in the formation
of the League of the Free People, a group of several provinces which sought freedom from
Buenos Aires dominance. Artigas was named the Protector of the League of the Free People
and proceeded to conduct land reforms which divided the land between small farmers.

Fearful that these revolutionary ideas would spread to Brazil, the Portuguese invaded the
Banda Oriental in 1816 and occupied Montevideo on January 20, 1817. Artigas and his troops
were defeated in 1820 at the Battle of Tacuarembo and the Banda Oriental was incorporated
into Brazil as the Cisplatina province.

In 1825, the Thirty-Three Orientals, a militant revolutionary group led by Juan Antonio
Lavalleja, landed in Cisplatina with the support of Buenoes Aires and reached Montevideo
on May 20. By June, a new provisional government was formed and on August 25, the newly
elected assembly declared secession of the Cisplatina province from Brazil. Brazil declared
the Cisplatine War which ended on August 27, 1828 with the Treaty of Montevideo. The treaty
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though not guaranteed. During the Paraguayan War, Uruguayan independence was secured and
the Constitution of 1830 was approved.

The Guerra Grande

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