Hot empanadas, umbrellas, cockades. May 25 -national date par excellence- is associated with a specific iconography, present in manuals and school events since our childhood. However, many of these images are not a true reflection of the time, but were created decades later. As historian Gabriel Di Meglio, consulted byClarín, argues, the protagonists of the events were more interested in living the changes than in telling them.
The study of documents (newspapers, letters, minutes) and current archaeological findings allow a more reliable reconstruction of dates and events. In addition, they open the door to the b side of that society of the early nineteenth century, which does not appear in official texts: its daily customs; the ways of relating, loving, eating, dressing.
This task, fundamental to historical memory, challenges myths. And it gives back the voice to people and groups whose names were lost in history; those men and women, without whom the Revolution – in the words of Andrés Rivera – would have been an eternal dream.
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What happened on the eve of May 25, 1810
May 25
Did the Revolution last a day?
The Napoleonic invasion of Spain in 1808 had generated a crisis in all regions of the Empire. In the context of this power vacuum, long-standing social and political tensions emerged in the Americas. The very mechanics of the events brought unexpected conflicts. On May 25, 1810, the Primera Junta was established in Buenos Aires, with Cornelio Saavedra at the head. But historians agree that the Revolution was not limited to a single date.
Some scholars say that the revolutionary process in the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata began around 1809, with the formation of the Junta del Alto Perú (which was part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata). The historianFabián Harari, professor at the University of San Luis and the University of Buenos Aires, emphasizes that the deposition of the Viceroy had the antecedent of 1806, when a war board arrested Sobremonte and handed over political command to the French Liniers. "That year, the state lost its monopoly on violence," he says.
When did the revolutionary feat end? Academics differ on this point, but none think less than ten years. On May 25, 1810, a provisional government was set up in Buenos Aires, which still assumed "in the name of Mr. Fernando VII".
Di Meglio elucidates: "At first, the demand for independence belonged to a minority. The return to the throne of the Spanish monarch in 1814 radicalized the revolutionary leaders and even more politically moderate sectors accepted that the only way out is Independence. That's why we have two national dates, 1810 and 1816."
Did you know that there were two Spaniards on the Junta? And that Saavedra was from Upper Peru (present-day Bolivia)?
The president of the Board, Cornelio Saavedra, was born in Upper Peru. The members Domingo Matheu and Juan Larrea, in Catalonia. This was not uncommon for the time.
Argentina, as we know it today (with its geographical and cultural limits), was consolidated only in the late nineteenth century. The revolutionary leaders of 1810 thought in terms of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. That is, part of what we know today as Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia (indigenous territories such as Patagonia and Chaco, on the other hand, did not participate in the process). The very dynamics of the process would limit its claims, demarcating the borders that are most familiar to us.
Di Meglio details: "When Buenos Aires made its revolution, it tried to make all the territories that make up the Viceroyalty obey the Junta. In fact, he asked the other peoples to send deputies. Some said no – like Asunción, Montevideo, Alto Perú – which started a civil war between juntistas and antijuntistas. But both considered themselves true patriots and also realists, because - at first - they all acted in the name of the king." The latter, as we know, reversed itself with the passage of time and events.
Was there popular mobilization?
All the testimonies point to an indisputable popular and militia presence, both on May 25 and the days before, which tipped the balance in favor of the revolutionaries.
"In the National Historical Museum is the petition that circulated to end the Provisional Board headed by Cisneros. There, French and Beruti speak out 'for me and 600 more'. The exams show different inks, proof that it circulated. But who were those who knew how to sign in that society?" asks Di Meglio.
The independent researcher of Conicet, a professor at the University of Buenos Aires and the University of San Martín, is dedicated precisely to studying the "low people" of Buenos Aires. That is, those heterogeneous groups – which involved people who lived on their wages, artisans, street vendors – who mobilized and projected their own racial, social, and economic aspirations and tensions onto the Revolution.
Was there an umbrella that day? And cockades?
"The people want to know what it is about" (an anonymous phrase attributed to the demonstrations of 1810) is also the name of one of the most famous paintings that portrays people with umbrellas in front of the Cabildo. The creation of this work -it is worth clarifying- is much later than the facts: it dates from the first Centenary.
The testimonies of the time confirm that it rained that week. In the National Historical Museum there is still a writing by Pedro Díaz de Vivar, a neighbor who said: "For aver rained on the 22nd / I did not go to the cavildo, fears / rose of humidity, and / cold". The minutes of the Cabildo of the 25th also complained about the climatic fluctuations. But what about umbrellas?
Di Meglio explains that, in those years, the use of umbrellas or umbrellas was reduced to a few. Expensive and permeable fabric, it probably wasn't used much to fight the rain, nor were there many in the square that day. "The paintings of May 25 as we know them emerged in the late nineteenth century, with the consolidation of the nation state," adds the specialist.
See also
Timeline of May Week: How did the revolution come about?
Something similar happened with cockades. In his Historia de la República Argentina (1883), Vicente Fidel López wrote that "the square was filled at one time with ladies and ladies, with the celestial colors that distinguished the plume so popular of the Patricios". The texts of the time, on the other hand, mentioned the presence of ribbons, but attributed different colors (red, light blue, white). On the other hand, they were hardly round, since that shape was typical of military distinctives (and not common among civilians).
Were the women there?
Although it is necessary to investigate the subject, the role of women in the gatherings of high society is known to all. "In addition, the documents refer to a popular participation that counted men and women," says Di Meglio. Among them, an anonymous pamphlet stands out – today kept in the Cabildo Museum – that expressed the complaints of men against women who got into politics. The argument was that then they did not stop talking about something that "did not correspond to them": the questions of government.
The Society of 1810
What were the limits of the City of Buenos Aires?
"Although it was the second most important city in South America after Lima, if we look at it from today, Buenos Aires was small. It occupied Parque Lezama, Plaza San Martín to the north (which was already a barracks area). To the west, it advanced along what is now Rivadavia Avenue, to Congreso and Plaza Lorea. Public transport didn't exist and people tended to concentrate," illustrates Di Meglio.
And its physiognomy?
Swells of water, dust storms, narrow sidewalks, mud puddles, an undulating terrain. It was not easy to navigate Buenos Aires. The circulation of various animals, such as horses, dogs, pigs and mice, reinforced the tendency to develop sociability indoors.
The main buildings were the Fort of Buenos Aires (which contained the Accounting, the Customs and the Royal Audience), the Cabildo and the Cathedral. Each social group had different spaces of coexistence: some of the most important were the Recova, the Alameda, the churches, the pulperías, the market.
The houses also varied according to the status of their occupants. Scholars indicate that the mansions with three courtyards that are repeated in school magazines only represented 8% of the city. Not only were there smaller homes, with poor materials, but there were even tolderías. The rich lived near the Cabildo. The poor, on the outskirts.
Myths and truths of May 25. 30% of the population was of African descent. (Illustrations: Hugo Horita)
Was there an Afro-descendant presence?
Historians agree that 30% of the population of Buenos Aires in 1810 was composed of Afro-descendants. "Between 1778 and 1812 more than 70,<> slaves entered the Río de la Plata legally, not counting those who arrived through smuggling. As soon as the Revolution begins, there is a contradiction: a feat that is done in the name of freedom, in a slave society," Di Meglio responds.
Throughout the Revolution, traffic was abolished and belly freedom instituted (1813). The men who were already slaves, found in the war itself the possibility of changing their situation: they entered the Army in the condition of "freedmen". That is, neither free, nor slaves, but with a promise of freedom. According to the professor, "the famous army of the Andes, of 5,1 members, had 500,8 freedmen. The <>th Regiment was composed entirely of freedmen."
What were the streets called before the Revolution?
By 1807, the surnames of prominent neighbors during the Defense and Reconquest of Buenos Aires appeared on the streets (replacing names of saints). But in 1810, many of them (mainly Spaniards) became counterrevolutionaries. This is the case of Álzaga, who ended up shot by the insurgents.
Therefore, during their first steps, the rebels sought new names. "By 1822, the main streets of what is now downtown took their definitive names: Peru, Bolívar, Belgrano, Florida, San Martín," says Di Meglio.
Smell of flowers... and bosta
If we think that there was no garbage collection or sewers, we intuit that the city of 1810 was not pleasant for our nose. However, at the end of the day, smells are also a cultural construct.
Horse meat, widely consumed, was stinky. Candles and tallow soaps used inside homes, too. Not to mention manure, dead animals (sometimes buried in backyards) and body pits.
According to José Antonio Wilde, who wrote an x-ray of the city 70 years after the events, a custom of that society could function as a counterweight to the plague: the fondness for flowers. "In poor houses, everything was put to good use; saucepan, bucket, old tin," wrote the man, who highlighted the cultivation of carnations, roses of different types, violets, jasmine, marimonias, hyacinths, daisies, pansies, poppies.
Myths and truths of May 25. Meat was eaten, but little roasted.
Was it eaten roast?
In 1810 there were about 40 butchers and 5 salters in Buenos Aires. Meat was plentiful, but it didn't usually end up on the grill. First, we must consider that every "bug" was edible, not just the cow. The cattle were bighorn (wild) and the cuts were hard. Therefore, they were usually boiled in stews and stews.
A common dish was soup of pieces of beef and lamb, blood sausage, cabbage, parsley, onions, garlic, chickpeas, beans, pumpkins and mint. Wilde also mentioned rice, noodles, bread and fariña soup, "from the clean broth to the rotten pot" – in reference to the strong aromas of the products, which used to be overlooked by the lack of refrigeration. Salt shortages used to be a problem. And dessert? Mazamorra, curd, custard and potato or sweet potato sandwiches.
All this was eaten with few cutlery and a single glass for the whole table. Water (more or less cloudy) and wine were drunk in the wealthiest houses.
What clothes did people wear?
Wilde spoke of a feminine fashion "a la española", called "vasquinas" (for following Basque customs). The dresses left the foot exposed. Footwear was one of the brands that "showed whether the person was distinguished." Rich women made their own shoes, with elegant black satin. Slaves, on the other hand, used to go barefoot.
The men wore a suit of jacket, jacket and breeches, plus cape and cape, if it was cold. Those with a smaller budget, wore similar garments, but in smaller quantities and of low quality (ponchos, ponchos, donkey leather hats).
Myths and truths of May 25. The fun generally took place inside the houses.
What was the fun like in 1810?
The sociability of Buenos Aires happened mainly inside the homes. In the famous gatherings, romances, commercial agreements, political alliances and intellectual discussions were conceived, which paved the way to May 25 and continued later.
These gatherings were not like the European ones, much more sumptuous. Witnesses of the time indicated that the most ingested drink was mate (and, if the party extended, chocolate). They used to finish early and, according to Wilde, didn't require much budget. There was always music. If there was no money to pay a professional, children or aunts would stand in front of the piano.
The pulperías, more popular, hosted games, drinks and – according to the "good people" – some fights. Due to the customs of the time and the state of the city, the wealthiest used to avoid public stages. Anyway, there was a spectacle that brought together rich and poor: bullfighting, a favorite of porteños until its prohibition in 1819.
In the heat of the Revolution, the Buenos Aires cafes – which until then housed a lower sector of the elite – were resignified, becoming centers of political and philosophical debate, where gossip, ideas and strategy were discussed. This was just one of the transformations that took place after 1810 and that showed that Buenos Aires society would never be the same again.
PS