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| 4. Uruguay |
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| Uruguay gained independence under the 1828 peace treaty between Brazil and Argentina (See 1825–28). The city of Montevideo became an important commercial entrepot; a pastoral economy evolved in the countryside, dominated by big ranchers. | 1 |
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| 1830, July 18 |
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| A liberal centralist constitution was adopted by the República Oriental of Uruguay. It denied the vote to laborers and illiterates. Fructuoso Rivera seized power and led a campaign of extermination against Charrúa Indians. From 1835 to 1868, public debt was repaid with land, which encouraged formation of latifundia. | 2 |
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| 1836–43 |
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| Ranchers sought absolute control over the countryside, whereas Montevideo merchants wanted a centralized state. Dispute led to the formation of the Blanco Party, connected to rural landlords, and the Colorado Party, based mainly on urban groups who favored liberalism and immigration. Rivera was the leader of the colorados, and Manuel Oribe (1792–1857) the caudillo of the blancos. In 1842, slavery was abolished, but ex-slaves were compelled to enroll in the partisan armies. | 3 |
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| 1843–51 |
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| With the support of Rosas, the Argentine dictator, Oribe began an eight-year siege of Montevideo. The city's foreign population played an important role in its defense. Giuseppe Garibaldi, leader of the Italian reunification, organized Basque and Italian defense contingents. | 4 |
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| 1851–60 |
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| Pact of Union (1855) between colorado leader Venancio Flores and Oribe. A period of economic recovery followed under the administration of Gabriel A. Pereira (1856–60). Montevideo merchants prospered as trade intermediaries for the Argentine littoral, Paraguay, and Southern Brazil. Urban population increased because of policies that favored immigration. Foreigners made up 35 percent of a total population of 221,000. Livestock herds, meat salting, and sheep breeding expanded. | 5 |
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| 1860–68 |
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| Administration of Gen. Bernardo P. Berro, a blanco, ended illegal slavery on Uruguayan estates owned by Brazilians. A colorado revolution led by Venancio Flores broke out in 1863. Brazilian forces invaded Uruguay in support of Flores, who became chief executive. The blancos sought support from Paraguay's dictator, Francisco Solano López. Flores joined with Brazil and Argentina in the Triple Alliance, thus entering the war against Paraguay (1865–70) (See 1865). | 6 |
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| 1868–76 |
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| Under the administrations of Lorenzo Batlle (1868–71), Tomás Gomensoro (1872), and José E. Ellauri (1873–75), the Colorado Party stayed in power, despite blanco revolts. A military uprising deposed Ellauri in 1875. | 7 |
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| 1876–86 |
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| Merchants and landowners seeking stability gave support to the military regimes of Gen. Lorenzo Latorre (1876–80), Gen. Francisco A. Vidal (1880–82), and Gen. Máximo Santos (1882–86). Fencing of ranches expanded. In 1876, enforcement of the Rural Code and the organization of rural police gave ranchers more power over rural workers. Exports of hides and wool increased. Population grew rapidly with immigration. In 1877, compulsory primary education was established. | 8 |
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| 1886–94 |
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| Presidents Máximo Tajes (1886–90) and Julio Herrera y Obes (1890–94) governed during an economic crisis caused by price decline. Montevideo merchants lost their position as commercial intermediaries. Rural workers migrated to neighboring countries or to the city. | 9 |
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| 1894–1903 |
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| An economic recovery was due to the rise in wool sales. Blanco leader Aparicio Saravia led a revolution in 1896 to secure governorships of the departments. Juan Idiarte Borda was elected president in 1894 and assassinated in 1897. Juan Lindolfo Cuestas assumed the presidency in 1899 after reaching bi-party accord on elections. | 10 |
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| 1903–7 |
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| JOSÉ BATLLE Y ORDÓÑEZ (1856–1929), a civilian leader of the Colorado Party, assumed the presidency. Labor organization and strike activity increased with anarchist influence. Batlle introduced government mediation in labor conflicts. He challenged the absolute control of blancos over some departments, which led to civil war in 1904. The war caused heavy loss of human life. The government defeated the blanco army led by Saravia and imposed a centralist program. | 11 |
| Batlle sponsored a divorce law, but massive protest by women and the church stopped its passage for several years. Increasing urbanization and state centralization allowed Batlle to dominate rural elites. Claudio Williman succeeded Batlle (1907–11). Under his government, labor protest was repressed. (See Uruguay) | 12 |
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