History - Buenos Aires, Argentina

First Foundation: The first foundation was carried out by the adelantado Pedro of Mendoza, in the year 1536 that it arrived from Spain looking for a road that leads to wealth in gold and silver. The population settles in precarious form due to the lack of materials for construction, to the shortage of foods of the place and the bad relationship with the aboriginal ones that siege the city causing famines to Spanish that ended up making anthropophagy. Of this same expedition the explorators that overcame river up left and in 1537 they founded Asunción that quickly demonstrated better conditions. In 1541 the administration finally decided to moved to Asunción the scarce residents from Buenos Aires.

Second Foundation: From Asunción (Paraguay) it left the expedition that accomplished the second and definitive foundation, carried out in 1580, by Juan de Garay. In this case richness was no longer looked for since that it was already known that afforded this fluvial geography, what was wanted was to occupy the territory, of great strategic importance since meant an important exit to the South Atlantic (notices you that later on, when the occupations of South America are materialized by Spaniards and Portuguese, this it will be the only spanish port in South Atlantic).

Recoleta Neighborhood in 1867 - Find more about Recotea here

The first times: The new population was developed very slowly during the first two centuries, since it was in a completely outlying area of the colony, without any interest to Spanish more than to preserve it for her strategic value. Toward 1606, the city had near 600 inhabitants, a third of which they were Portuguese dedicated to the trade (for the temporary union of the two crowns), and it had already suffered some maraudings of corsarian ships. Their population practiced an economy of subsistence, based on the agricultural exploitation, without producing surpluses, for the scarce manpower, due to the little quantity of indigenous of the area. But the main economic activity was the contraband. For the monopolic commercial régime settled down by Spain, according to which only arrived to colonia products from the metropolis and the metallic came out twice a year and for a route in the Caribbean, Buenos Aires were helpless of working as port.
However, promoted by the geographical convenience and the inability of the trade system, many products circulated for this port coming from the new manufacturers empires of Europe, as well as it left the silver and diverse products toward the Portuguese colonies. It is calculated that during the first two centuries 25% of the extracted silver of Potosí came out in illegal form for Buenos Aires, also avoiding to pay the taxes to the Crown.

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Initially all these territories conformed the Government of the Río de la Plata, dependent of the Viceroyalty of Perú, with capital in Asunción, but in 1617, seeing the impossibility of managing such a big territory they separated it in two, putting a part of the territories under jurisdiction of Asunción and depending the other of Buenos Aires, increasing their administrative importance at this way. However the city continued with a moderate development until half-filled of the XVIII century. Toward 1680 the population was about the 5000 inhabitants. The economy of subsistence was evolved slowly, thanks to the invested capital coming from the trade, and it began to exploit the production of leathers, and in smaller measure of suet and cured meat that was obtained of the wild livestock that moved freely in that time and without owner for the fields and was hunted in periodical incursions.
Another reason that increased the importance of the city is the diverse bordering confrontations with the Portuguese. In the year 1680 they found Nova Colonia do Sacramento in the opposed riverbank of the Río de la Plata, in front of Buenos Aires. This city that will pass from hand to hand several times in the next century, contributed to develop even more the smuggling and it meant a menace to the spanish occupation of the region.

Plaza de Mayo in 1861 - Find more about Plaza de Mayo here

The Viceroyalty: Already entered the XVIII century, a dynastic change took place in the Spanish Crown, settling the family of the Borbones (that continues until the present time), standing out Carlos III that it contributes the new ideas of the European " Illustration ". A new state concept settles down for the Spanish empire, being based its recovery mainly on a new relationship with the colonies. The trade is liberated with the metropolis and even with other powers and it´s allowed too among the regions of the colony, before forbidden by internal customses. The big territories are also subdivided being created new Viceroyalties and Captaincies. Inside this frame the region of the Río de la Plata charges great importance like direct exit to the Atlantic South, for its accessibility, for its strategic position in the territorial conflict with Portugal and in the access of the Cabo de Hornos, route to the Pacific that commenced to wake up great interest in the European Powers. It is as well as in 1776 the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata is created, with capital in Buenos Aires, being included inside its jurisdiction big territories, until the same Potosí that before was linked Lima. At this time it commences to operate big changes in the city, beginning the construction of new buildings. It is also in this time when the industrial development of England commences to press for the location of its factories and for the obtaining of elementary matters, commencing to be profiled the character agricultural exporter that then would be perfected, in the Río de la Plata region.

Obelisk inauguration day in 1936 - Find more about the Obelsik here

The Independence: Facts as the French Revolution and the independence of the United States introduced new ideas in the political conception of the world. Also, the actions of Napoleon in Europe, produced holes and big displacements in the real exercise of the power of Spain on their colonies, in those which, additionally, for the recent reformations new spaces of power and relationships had been created with other powers.
In 1806 England decides to occupy the area of the Río de la Plata, partly to palliate the loss of their colonies of North America that provided it primarial matters and markets for their factories. A not very important army invaded Buenos Aires. Against their predictions, the Buenos Aires ones are opposed to this occupation and soon an army armed by Creoles, to the control of Santiago de Liniers, recovers the city. The Englishmen prepare more troops and in 1807 they try to recapture it, already with a superior army but this time they meet with a prepared city and they are defeated. This victory of the Buenos Aires ones is extremely significant, since it was achieved by its own means, without intervention of the Crown. In 1808, Napoleon occupies Spain, producing a ceasing of authority on the Colonies. Between 1809 and 1810 meetings and audiences that establish local administrations take place. In Buenos Aires, after a week of debates, it is constituted May of 1810, 25 the First Meeting of Government (Primera Junta de Gobierno), being deprived the Viceroy. This Meeting formed by Buenos Aires, was constituted on behalf of the whole Viceroyalty and invited to the cities of the interior to send its representatives, however, when arriving these it commenced to take place confrontations of interests that soon caused confrontations among Buenos Aires and the interior that marked a series of civil wars that preceded to the organization of the Republic and that would last near half century.

Florida Pedestrian Street in 1925 - Find more about Florida Street here

After the formation of the meetings in all Spanish America the reaction takes place on the part of the Spaniards. In 1814 the monarchic order is restored in Spain, and troops are sent to America, reconquering all the cities for 1816 with the exception of Buenos Aires that maintained its independence since 1810, and that sends successive armies toward the interior of the former Viceroyalty, to assure the independence of their territories, consuming great part of their resources during next 10 years. This situation ends newly in 1824, when San Martin's liberation gestes , leaving of Argentina, and Bolivar, leaving of Venezuela, expel definitively the Spaniards from South America.
This series of wars, together with the civil ones, supposed a tremendous waste of the economic resources of the city, the one that at the same time increase their exchange politics with Great Britain of cattle products for factories. During all this time Buenos Aires assume a centralist attitude, wanting to impose government's form to the counties in which their interests are prefixed. Starting from 1820 a fragmentation takes place in the union that will last with many changes up to 1860, in which stands out the fight of interests between federal and unitary, these last in favor of a centralized power, and where Buenos Aires have jurisdiction on its county. About 1829, Juan Manuel de Rosas assumes the provincial government, man that drove the destinations of the county and it influenced vastly to the other ones up to 1852, standing out for the state repression, the expansion campaigns on the Indians and the confrontation with the England and France due to certain principles protectives. Toward this year the population was of about 100.000 inhabitants.
In 1852 it is defeated by Urquiza that achieves the union of the country and the writing of the National Constitution, of federal and republican character that finally endows to the Republic of a juridical status. From this year, the county and city of Buenos Aires remains divided of the rest of the country up to 1860, year in which is reinstated. In this stage the calls historical presidencies commence, with Mitre, Avellaneda and Sarmiento, during which the country gives the decisive steps in its consolidation. The railroad is developed with an agricultural exporter function, the immigration is fomented that is composed until half-filled of the XX century for near 2 millions of Italian, a million and half of Spaniards and people of diverse countries like Poland, Russia, Arab countries, etc..

Av. de Mayo in 1920 - Find more about Av. de Mayo here

The capital: Toward 1880 it continued there being a fundamental problem, the topic of the capital, although the city of Buenos Aires had been established as national capital, it also worked as administration of the county of the same name. After armed confrontations and a temporary location of the capital in the near town of Belgrano, it is constituted to the city in national territory, depending directly on the national power that will administer it by means of an intendant. To solve the problem of the capital lack for the county, it is built to 50 kilometers the city of La Plata, declared Patrimony of the Humanity for the UNESCO at the present time. In this time also, Torcuato de Alvear, first intendant of the city of Buenos Aires, carries out big works that transform to the city like the construction of the Avenida de Mayo and the first bid of the port. The city experiences an explosion of growth, buildings public and great infrastructure apparatus are built, the industry of the bovine frozen meat is developed and the character of main port of the country is accentuated, as communication road from and toward the whole country thanks to the centralized net of railroads. in 1913 the first net of subways is inaugurated that will be early for 50 years to the rest of Latin America, but that with running of the years it won't grow at the same of the city, being very small for final of century. The economy experiences a growth sustained thanks to the agricultural exports that will stay until the between wars period. For half-filled of the decade of the 10, the population ascended to almost 1,5 millions. in 1916, thanks to the electoral reformations, it assumes the presidency Hipólito Yrigoyen, of the Unión Civica Radical that for the first time will allow the access from the growing middle class to the political power. Starting from 1930 it commences to be diversified the industrial production, also assisting the necessities of the middle class. The immigration commences to come in from the interior of the country, due to the weakness of the internal economies. During the presidency of Perón, they are formed the calls emergency neighborhoods, where arrived workers of the counties settled, in precarious forms, type of social structures that will grow with the time as the economy falls. Toward the decade of the 50 it will stop the exporter boom and the economy will enter in a crisis of which doesn't recover again and it won't have alternative viable until the decade of the 80 in that are carried out the first agreements for the project of common market known as MERCOSUR. For that time Buenos Aires were the biggest city of Hispanic speech with more than 5 million inhabitants, place that today in day occupies the Federal District of Mexico. Toward the decade of the 80 the industrial activity had fallen generating an increase of the unemployment, fact that increases in the decade of the 90, arriving at historical levels. To this the project was added of transferring the capital to Viedma and Carmen de Patagones, in the south limit of the county of Buenos Aires, next to Río Negro, to foment the development of other areas of the country, since it arrived to the historical variant that the Argentinean population's third concentrates on the City of Buenos Aires. This project of the decade of the 80 never ended up being summed up.

Congreso Square in 1918 - Find more about the Congreso Square here

The Autonomous City: In 1994 the Constitution of the City was reformed granting it the autonomy with regard to the national power, that is to say that the citizens can choose its Boss of Government, while before was made by the executive Power. The city has a population of 3 million inhabitants, it calculates that stays at the same for years and added with that of the Conurbano, the Great Buenos Aires, it is about between the 12 and 13 millions. In spite of the general impoverishment of the country, the capital continues being the richest district. In the last years the overturn was increased from the economic activity to the services and the consumption, stopping to be an important industrial center, by means of the considerable increment of the offer in services and to the reconversion of spaces, as the old port, "Puerto MAdero", in a walk, the appearance of countless shoppings and the new constructions. It can also be said that an beutify politic of the city took place the administrations since they are lending more and more attention to the public spaces, generating new and improving the existent ones. This way, it can be concluded that in spite of the adverse general situation, the city commences the new millennium, with characteristic different, trying to consolidate as a good place to live, like important administrative and economic center for the MERCOSUR and like a place for the tourism.