Although the Spanish rulers of the Rio de La Plata and the Argentine governments
both made some attempts to conquer it, most of Patagonia remained independent until
the 1880's. (1)
The change came in 1878 when the Argentine government - needing new grazing lands
for the herds (as a consequence of the expanding meat exportations to Europe) -
established the Territory of Patagonia and launched a final campaign to conquer the
region. This so-called "Conquista del Desierto" ended in 1885, when the last major
native leader (Cacique) Valentin Sayhueque, Señor del Neuquén y la Patagonia (1...
- 1903) surrendered. (2)
By then the Territory of Patagonia had however already been divided (in 1884) into
six National Territories :
- Chubut - Río Negro
- La Pampa - Santa Cruz
- Neuquén - Tierra del Fuego(1) European presence in Patagonia - known as the "Tierras Magallánicas de la
Patagonia y de Tierra del Fuego" - was restricted to :
- some settlements - including at least one Jesuit Reduccion or Pueblo
in the Spanish period - in the North were a frontier situation that
can be compared to the one in the U.S. West existed.
- some settlements on the Atlantic coast, most notably those established
since 1865 by Welsh colonists (Dolavon, Port Madryn, Rawson, Trelew)
(2) In 1883 the Argentinians had already conquered the most important of the
Patagonian policies, the so-called Confederación de Salinas Grandes.
This Confederation - apparentely the largest native policy of Southern
America since the fall of Tawantinsuyu in the 16th century - was founded
ca 1835 by Mapuche migrants from Araucania and extended over parts of
Northern Patagonia.
Caciques of the Confederation of Salinas Grandes
1835 - 1873 Calfucurá "Gen. Juan Calfucurá-Salinas
Grandes" 1... - 1873
1873 - 1883 Manuel Namuncurá, son 1811 - 1908
The Confederation declined after a first defeat against the Argentinians
at San Carlos in 1872 and disappeared in 1883 when Namuncurá submitted to
Argentina.
__________________________________________________________________________________
CHIEF ADMINISTRATORS
Governors
Gobernadores
(subordinated to the Minister of War)
1878 - 1882 Col. Alvaro Barros
1882 - 1884 Gen. Lorenzo Vintter (Winter)
HOMEINDEX
