Colonial and post-independence period Argentines of European descent

it not until creation of viceroyalty of río de la plata in 1776, first censuses classification castas conducted. 1778 census ordered viceroy juan josé de vértiz in buenos aires revealed that, of total population of 37,130 inhabitants, spaniards , criollos numbered 25,451, or 68.55% of total. census carried out in corregimiento de cuyo in 1777 showed spaniards , criollos numbered 4,491 (or 51.24%) out of population of 8,765 inhabitants. in córdoba (city , countryside) spanish/criollo people comprised 39.36% (about 14,170) of 36,000 inhabitants.

according data argentine government in 1810, 6,000 spanish lived in territory of united provinces of río de la plata spanish, of total population of around 700,000 inhabitants. small number indicates presence of people european ancestors small, , large number of criollos mixed indigenous , african mothers, although fact hidden; in regard, example, according researcher josé ignacio garcía hamilton liberator, josé de san martín, mestizo.

nevertheless, these censuses restricted cities , surrounding rural areas, little known racial composition of large areas of viceroyalty, though supposed spaniards , criollos minority, other castas comprising majority. worth noting that, since person classified peninsular or criollo had access more privileges in colonial society, many castizos (resulting union of spanish , mestizo) purchased limpieza de sangre ( purity of blood ).

although being minority in demographics terms, criollo people played leading role in may revolution of 1810, in independence of argentina spanish empire in 1816. argentine national heroes such manuel belgrano , juan martín de pueyrredón, military men cornelio saavedra , carlos maría de alvear, , politicians juan josé paso , mariano moreno criollos of spanish, italian or french descent. second triumvirate , 1813 assembly enacted laws encouraging immigration, , instituted advertising campaigns , contract work programs among prospective immigrants in europe.

the minister of government of buenos aires province, bernardino rivadavia, established immigration commission in 1824. appointed ventura arzac conduct new census in city, , showed these results: city had 55,416 inhabitants, of 40,000 of european descent (about 72.2%); of total of whites, 90% criollos, 5% spaniards, , other 5% other european nations.

after wars independence, long period of internal struggle followed. during period between 1826 , 1852, europeans settled in country -sometimes hired local governments. notable among them, savoyan lithographer charles pellegrini (president carlos pellegrini s father) , wife maria bevans, neapolitan journalist pedro de angelis, , german physician/zoologist hermann burmeister. because of long conflict, there neither economic resources nor political stability carry out census until 1850s, when provincial censuses organized. these censuses did not continue classification castas typical of pre-independence period.

the administration of governor juan manuel de rosas, had been given sum of public power other governors in argentine confederation, maintained rivadavia immigration commission, continued advertise agricultural colonies in argentina among prospective european immigrants. following rosas overthrow entre ríos province governor justo josé de urquiza, jurist , legal scholar juan bautista alberdi commissioned prepare draft new constitution. outline, bases , starting points political organization of argentine republic, called federal government promote european immigration, , policy included article 25 of argentine constitution of 1853.

the first post-independence census conducted in buenos aires took place in 1855; showed there 26,149 european inhabitants in city. among nationals there no distinction of race, distinguish literates illiterates; @ time formal education privilege exclusive upper sectors of society, predominantly of european descent. including european residents , 21,253 argentine literates, around 47,402 people of european descent resided in buenos aires in 1855; have comprised 51.6% of total population of 91,895 inhabitants.