We explain what the generation of 80 was and its characteristics. In addition, the main events and what the Saenz Peña Law is.
What was the generation of 80?
The generation of 80 It was an elite of political leaders of the Argentine Republic that governed between 1880 and 1916a period also known as the Conservative Republic or Oligarchic Republic. During this period a new economic stage based on agricultural exports began, the country entered the world market and was the heyday of the wealthy and landowning class.
It was not until 1920 that literary critics coined the term “Generation of ’80” to identify the ruling class that followed the period of “historical presidencies.” The group of intellectuals and writers of that period who sympathized with the political leaders was also called the Generation of ’80.
The group of the generation of 80 was made up of a minority of society, also called oligarchy, which means “the power of a few,” and it was the one that gave rise to modern Argentina. The ruling group preferred to call itself aristocracy, which means “government of the best” and refers to those who are better equipped and trained, that is, the wealthiest.
Although the terms oligarchy and aristocracy have derogatory meanings, the leaders of the generation of 80 have achieved a positive impact in Argentina with respect to the situation the country was going through in 1880.
The ruling elite Its objective was to modernize the country in order to get the economy back on track. and Argentine society, in a social context of transformation due to the numerous European immigrations and an increasingly popular society with anarchist ideas.
Among the objectives were: the project of the construction of state institutions, innovation for industrial production and public education. However, the leaders’ primary conservative trait was to keep only the traditional elite classes in power.
The generation of 80 He ruled for more than three decades, under the name of the National Autonomist Party (PAN) until the Sáenz Peña Law of 1912 granted the right to universal suffrage to all men over 18 years of age in the nation through secret and compulsory voting. Before this law, only men who had completed university studies and came from a wealthy social class could vote.
See also: Generation of ’98
Historical context of the generation of 80
The generation of 80 was formed in a context in which The Argentine political system was in the process of restoration after repeated incidents of corruption and electoral fraud.
On October 12, 1880, Julio A. Roca was the winner of the elections. Roca was a military man who stood out for leading and completing an extensive series of bloody military expeditions that made up the so-called conquest of the desert, which began in 1833 with Juan Manuel de Rosas and ended in 1885 with Roca. In this military conquest, all the indigenous people who crossed his path were annihilated.
Due to the great massacre of indigenous people, Roca used the slogan “peace and organization” as a strategy that helped him triumph, along with the collaboration of the elite that made up the generation of 80, in the elections of 1880.
This political action It was possible due to corruption and the lack of universal suffrage Because not all citizens could vote, only men who had completed university studies and who belonged to a wealthy social class.
Characteristics of the generation of 80
The generation of 80 was characterized by:
- Power over the earth. The ruling oligarchy conquered vast areas of the country, especially through military expeditions.
- The colonization. Through the desert campaign, the State, which was in the hands of an elite, invaded territories, subjugated slaves and murdered the vast majority of the indigenous people.
- Society was transformed. Various changes in the population led to a process of transformation, such as immigration and popular revolutions inspired by anarchist ideologies and movements in Europe.
- The laws of social control. The government imposed certain laws, such as the residency law of 1902 that prevented the entry of immigrants and the social defense law of 1910, which prevented the entry of those convicted of common crimes or those with anarchist ideas. The aim of these laws was to prevent the socialist demonstrations that were taking place in Europe among the Argentine population.
- The agro-export model. The economy was based on the production of raw materials to meet the demand of foreign markets, as well as supplying the domestic market. Most of the production came from the countryside, which strengthened the ranchers.
Cultural development of the generation of the 80s
During the generation of 80 There was an important cultural development in the city of Buenos Airesthe federal capital of the nation, through the opening of theaters, cinemas, bookstores and magazines, among others.
Cultural progress was accompanied by the increase in power of the ruling class and landowners due to the strong agro-export economy.
The generation of 80 enjoyed a very active social life, with parties, trips and outingswhich were typical of the elite.
The generation of 80 and immigrants
The immigrants They played a crucial role in the economic model of the generation of the 80s because they were considered cheap labor.especially in the countryside and its agro-export model.
After the desert campaign, thousands of Aborigines were captured and enslaved. However, the leaders also considered the exploitation of European immigrants useful because They could transmit to the Argentines the knowledge acquired during the First Industrial Revolution (1750 – 1840).
However, The arrival of immigrants with socialist and anarchist ideas generated strikes due to demands for improvements in working conditions. Despite the restrictive laws of 1907, the National Department of Labor was also created, which promoted the sanction of the first social laws, still insufficient, but which allowed the passage of the following Sáenz Peña Law of 1912.
Saenz Pena Law
The Sáenz Peña law was passed in 1912 and allowed universal, secret and compulsory voting for all men over 18 years of age of Argentine territory. It arose in response to social pressure for improvements in working conditions and greater participation by the people in the election of leaders.
The law It was implemented in the 1916 elections in which Hipólito Yrigoyen was elected.who belonged to the Radical Civic Union (UCR) party, the main opposition to the conservative party called the National Autonomist Party (PAN).
The Sáenz Peña law under No. 8871 allowed the first presidential elections to be held and It meant the opening to a democratic Argentinaa process that was blocked by the military coup of 1930.
Continue with: Liberating Revolution
References:
- “The Argentine Generation of 1880” on Mospace
- “Reinventing the Nation” at Brown
- “Chapter III: Generation of 80” (video) in Geography History
- “The Generation of 80” in The Historian
- “The unacceptable made history” in Social Studies UBA
- “The Sáenz Peña Law and the fragile transition towards a democratic Argentina” in Conicet