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74-603: First laid out in colonial Buenos Aires as San Gregorio Street in 1774, it was at the time the northern limit of the growing port city. Following the British invasions of the Río de la Plata in 1806, it was renamed for one of the popular heroes of the invasion's defeat, Pío Rodríguez. The declaration of autonomy from the Spanish Empire in 1810 led city officials to rename it Calle Estrecha (the "Narrow Street"). The progressive Governor of

148-569: A militia . Buenos Aires was then a large settlement housing approximately 45,000, but the Viceroy was reluctant to give weapons to the Creole population. The best troops had been dispatched to Upper Peru , present-day Bolivia , to guard the frontiers from Túpac Amaru II 's revolt, and when Sobremonte learned of the British presence in the area he dispatched the remaining troops to Montevideo , considering that

222-455: A customs office in 1778, and Montevideo in 1789. Spanish policy still was directed at restricting Argentina's commerce; the Empire banned the export of silver from Buenos Aires and tried to direct exports out of Potosí . The system of corregimientos to mark the subdivisions of the territory was ended in 1782, and replaced with Intendencias by Charles III. The new system was intended to reinforce

296-596: A fierce fight. In May Lt. Gen. John Whitelock arrived to take overall command and attacked Buenos Aires on 5 July 1807. After losing more than half his force, who were killed or captured, Whitelock signed a cease-fire and departed for Great Britain . The criollo bourgeoisie aspirations in the face of lack of support from Spain and the defeat of a world power by local forces added to their confidence and fueled their movement toward independence. As of 1814, Argentina had been self-governed for about four years, and Paraguay had already declared its independence. The viceroyalty

370-488: A further 2,000 were taken prisoner while the British had taken 600 casualties. On 10 May, Lieutenant-General John Whitelocke arrived in Montevideo to take overall command of the British forces -this had about 13,000 soldiers, due to the losses suffered in Montevideo – on the Río de la Plata, landing on 27 June. On 1 July, the force led by Liniers engaged the British but was overwhelmed by superior numbers at Miserere , in

444-466: A list of Spanish ports allowed to trade with each other, certain Spanish American products were imported tax-free to Spain, and all the cities with ports were to be assigned Consulates or Tribunals of Commerce. This was not free trade , but a predecessor to what would develop. In the decade of 1778–1788, the commerce between Spain and Spanish America increased by nearly 700%. Buenos Aires was given

518-462: A military expedition to cross the Andes and conquer Chile. From there, the British would move from sea to seize Peru and then Quito. All these proposals were discussed in 1804 by William Pitt , Lord Henry Melville , Francisco de Miranda and Sir Home Riggs Popham . Popham did not believe a complete military occupation of South America was practical but argued for taking control of key locations to allow

592-404: A militia near the city, but was discovered before being ready, and his troops were defeated. Santiago de Liniers , who was assigned to guard a nearby coast defense, got into the city and weighed the situation. He convinced Álzaga to hold on his plan, and moved to Montevideo . The governor Pascual Ruiz Huidobro gave him command of 550 veterans and 400 soldiers to return to Buenos Aires and attempt

666-542: A time when Spanish troops were unable to help. In 1809, the Criollo elite revolted against colonial authorities at La Paz and Chuquisaca , establishing revolutionary governments or juntas . Although short-lived, retroversion of the sovereignty to the people provided a theoretical basis for the legitimacy of the locally based governments (temporarily in the absence of a legitimate king in Spain). These events proved decisive at

740-581: The Argentine Rural Society 's ornate exposition grounds and into the Carranza Viaduct, where it becomes Cabildo Avenue. 34°35′32″S 58°24′23″W  /  34.59222°S 58.40639°W  / -34.59222; -58.40639 British invasions of the R%C3%ADo de la Plata First invasion: Second invasion: First invasion: Second invasion: The British invasions of

814-541: The Battle of Trafalgar . This battle forced Spain to reduce to a minimum its naval communications with its American colonies. Historically, Buenos Aires had been relatively neglected by Spain, which sent most of its ships to the more economically important city of Lima . The last time a significant Spanish military force had arrived in Buenos Aires had been in 1784. Great Britain had long harboured interests in taking control of

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888-617: The Ciudad de Nuestra Señora del Buen Ayre ( The City of Our Lady of the Fair Winds ) on 2 February 1536 as a Spanish settlement. The site was abandoned in 1541, but it was re-established in 1580 by Juan de Garay with the name Ciudad de la Santísima Trinidad y Puerto de Santa María del Buen Ayre (City of the Most Holy Trinity and Port of Saint Mary of the Fair Winds), and the city became one of

962-643: The David Baird -led expedition against the Dutch colony of the Cape of Good Hope , which was allied with Napoleon. With nearly 6,300 men they took it in January 1806. Popham received new orders from the admiralty to patrol the east coast of South America, from Rio de Janeiro to the Río de la Plata, in order to detect any attempt to counterattack the Cape. However, Popham had the idea of taking

1036-497: The Province of Buenos Aires , Martín Rodríguez , had the narrow street widened in 1822, following which Bernardino Rivadavia , the first President of Argentina , renamed it Santa Fe Avenue . Mayor Torcuato de Alvear , inspired by the urban redevelopment works in Paris at the hand of Baron Haussmann , drew up master plans for major boulevards, running east to west, every six blocks and in

1110-609: The Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II inspired a violent Aymara -led revolt across the Upper Peru highlands, demonstrating the great resentment against colonial authorities by both the mestizo and indigenous populations. Twenty-five years later, the Criollos , native-born people of Spanish descent, successfully defended against two successive British attempts to conquer Buenos Aires and Montevideo . This enhanced their sense of autonomy and power at

1184-674: The Santa Catarina islands after a siege of three days, gaining the First Treaty of San Ildefonso . With it, the Portuguese retired from the Río de la Plata and left the Banda Oriental for Spain. In exchange Spain ceded them the area of Rio Grande do Sul , which they developed as Brazil. Cevallos ended his military actions at this point and started working with government, but he was soon replaced by Juan José Vertiz y Salcedo . The viceroyalty

1258-739: The Upper Peru (which remained controlled by royalist troops from Lima, and was eventually re-incorporated into the Viceroyalty of Peru). Meanwhile, the Governor of Montevideo Francisco Javier de Elío , appointed as a new Viceroy by the Spanish Government in 1811, declared the Buenos Aires Junta seditious. However, after being defeated at Las Piedras , he retained control only of Colonia del Sacramento and Montevideo. He departed by ship to Spain on 18 November and resigned in January 1812. In 1814,

1332-473: The 1,200-strong British contingent that would help in the liberation of Chile. Whitelocke left the Río de la Plata basin taking with him the British forces in Buenos Aires, Montevideo, and Colonia , but leaving behind 400 seriously wounded. On his return to the United Kingdom, he was court-martialled and cashiered , mainly for surrendering Montevideo. There was much criticism in the British newspapers in

1406-684: The 1806 victory and, by extension, of the campaign as a whole, 12 August is celebrated in Argentina as the day of the "Reconquista de Buenos Aires". After having to fight the British invasions by themselves with little direct help from Spain that at the moment was involved in the Napoleonic Wars , the seeds of independence were starting to grow. Local militia battalions being commanded mostly by revolutionaries (like Cornelio Saavedra , Manuel Belgrano , Esteban Romero, Juan Martín de Pueyrredón , Juan José Viamonte and Martín Rodriguez) also contributed to

1480-537: The 1810 May Revolution events deposing Viceroy Cisneros at Buenos Aires. The name "Provincias del Río de la Plata" was formally adopted in 1810 during the Cortes of Cádiz to designate the Viceroyalty based on popular sovereignty . The revolution in Buenos Aires spread across the Spanish Provincias del Río de la Plata, against the resistance of Paraguay (which declared itself an independent nation in 1811) and

1554-526: The 1880s, the avenue was included in the plan and widened. A 1967 ordinance made the avenue a one-way thoroughfare, west to east. Santa Fe Avenue officially begins on the southern end of Plaza San Martín and the northern end of pedestrian Florida Street . The avenue affords a view of the Art Deco Kavanagh Building and Plaza Hotel (officially on Florida St.) and passes by the former Haedo and Paz palaces (today public buildings) before leaving

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1628-533: The British had been interested in the riches of the region. The Peace of Basel in 1795 ended the war between Spain and France. In 1796, by the Second Treaty of San Ildefonso , Spain joined France in its war with the United Kingdom, thus giving the United Kingdom cause for military action against Spanish colonies. In 1805 the United Kingdom judged it the right moment after the defeat of the Franco-Spanish fleet at

1702-502: The Continent preoccupied the Spanish government and, after its defeat, Napoleon placed his brother Joseph on the Spanish throne. By 1805, Spain had to help France because of their 1795 alliance , and lost its navy to the British in the Battle of Trafalgar . The Spanish prime minister had warned the viceroyalty of the likelihood of a British invasion , saying it could not provide support to

1776-598: The French colony on the Malvinas Islands, called Port St. Louis ; after assuming effective control in 1767, it placed the islands under a governor subordinate to the Buenos Aires colonial administration . The expulsion of the British settlement in 1770 brought the two countries to the brink of war but a peace treaty was offered by Spain "to restore the port and fort called Egmont, with all the artillery and stores, according to

1850-704: The River Plate were two unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colony of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , located around the Río de la Plata in South America – in present-day Argentina and Uruguay . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars , War of the Third Coalition at a time when Spain was an ally of Napoleonic France . In Argentine historiography,

1924-440: The Río de la Plata with a military action similar to the one made at the Cape. His agent William White had informed him about the local politics of the city , such as the discontent among some groups about the restrictive regulations enforced by Spain about international commerce. Popham manifested Baird his will to take the zone, with or without his help. Baird gave him the 71st Regiment of Infantry, artillery and 1,000 men to attempt

1998-575: The Silver", also called the " Viceroyalty of River Plate " in some scholarly writings, in southern South America, was the last to be organized and also the shortest-lived of one of the viceroyalties of the Spanish Empire in the Americas . The name "Provincias del Río de la Plata" was formally adopted in 1810 during the Cortes of Cádiz to designate the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. The Viceroyalty

2072-576: The Spanish elite, fearful of an attempt of secession from the Spanish Crown. On this first invasion, the 71st Regiment of Foot lost both of its Regimental Colours during the combat, which are currently held in Argentina. On the second invasion, there was a frustrated attempt to recover both flags. They were retaken by the Buenos Aires militia and returned to the Santo Domingo convent. On 3 February 1807 Montevideo, defended by approximately 5,000 men,

2146-691: The Spanish in the Treaty of Paris (1763) , following the British defeat of France in the Seven Years' War . King Charles III quickly reacted to the advantageous conditions: France was bound to be an ally as a guarantor of the treaty, and Great Britain , due to its own colonial problems with revolution in the Thirteen Colonies in North America, maintained neutrality on the issues between Portugal and Spain. Pedro de Cevallos conquered Colonia del Sacramento and

2220-429: The Spanish viceroyalties in his name. In the beginning their terms had no fixed duration and could last for life. Later he established fixed terms of three to five years. Because of the distances between Spain and South America, and with sailing as the chief means of transport, there were long delays between the designation of a viceroy and the viceroy's effectively taking power. In addition, regular communication between

2294-442: The administration and defense of the Río de la Plata estuary ; it provided the main support but its silver production at Potosí was declining. In the first years of the viceroyalty, around 75% of the expenses were covered with revenues from the north. The Alto Plata (mostly present-day Paraguay ) also had problems with the Buenos Aires administration, particularly because of its keeping a monopoly on exports. The Napoleonic Wars on

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2368-416: The attack would be in that city. Thus, the British found Buenos Aires almost defenseless. The British took Quilmes , near Buenos Aires, on 25 June 1806, and reached and occupied Buenos Aires on 27 June. The Viceroy fled to Córdoba with the city's treasury, but lost it to British forces during his escape. Although his action was in line with a law enacted by former Viceroy Pedro de Cevallos , which required

2442-525: The city environs. At this crucial moment, Whitelocke did not attempt to enter the city, but twice demanded the city's surrender. Meanwhile, Buenos Aires' mayor Martín de Álzaga organised the defence of the city by digging trenches, fortifying buildings and erecting fences with great popular support for the Creoles hungered for independence. Finally, three days after forcing the troops under Liniers to retreat, Whitelocke resolved to attack Buenos Aires. Trusting in

2516-541: The city of Buenos Aires. On 27 June 1806, a British force of around 1,500 men under Col. William Carr Beresford successfully invaded Buenos Aires. Viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte had escaped to Córdoba . The British forces were thrown back by the criollos in December 1806, a militia force from Montevideo under the leadership of Santiago de Liniers . In February 1807, British reinforcements of about 8,000 men under Gen. Sir Samuel Auchmuty captured Montevideo after

2590-505: The city's centre was still in the hands of the defenders, and the invaders were now demoralized. At this point, a counter-attack by the militias and colonial troops present, defeated many important British commanders, including Robert Craufurd and Denis Pack . Then Whitelocke proposed a 24-hour truce, which was rejected by Liniers, who ordered an artillery attack. After suffering 311 killed, 679 wounded and 1,808 captured or missing, Whitelocke signed an armistice with Liniers on 12 August;

2664-571: The coast of present-day Uruguay and developed as the department's capital. Lobo's chief objective was to secure the Portuguese expansion of Brazil beyond the 1494 Treaty of Tordesillas , which had defined areas of influence in the Americas between the Iberian nations. From 1580 to 1640, Spain had controlled Portugal and thus all of its territories in America. In 1681 José de Garro quickly attacked and seized

2738-509: The desire for self-determination. An open cabildo and the Royal Audiencia of Buenos Aires deposed the viceroy Rafael de Sobremonte and designated instead French popular hero Santiago de Liniers , which was a completely unprecedented action: before that, the viceroy was only subject to the King of Spain himself, and no one from the colonies had authority over him. Pedro de Mendoza founded

2812-567: The eastern region, especially in Asunción , Buenos Aires and Montevideo . Under these conditions, Viceroy Manuel de Amat y Junyent issued a decree for the former governor of the Río de la Plata , Pedro Antonio de Cevallos , to found the new viceroyalty in August 1776. The ruling was resisted by the elite of Lima, but it was enforced. The cabildo of the Captaincy General of Chile requested from

2886-457: The growing interest of competing foreign powers in the area. The Spanish Crown wanted to protect its territory against Great Britain and the Kingdom of Portugal . But these Enlightenment reforms proved counterproductive, or perhaps too late, to quell the colonies' demands. The entire history of this Viceroyalty was marked by growing domestic unrest and political instability. Between 1780 and 1782,

2960-587: The growth of revolutionary zeal. In 1808, Napoleon placed his brother Joseph Bonaparte on the throne of Spain giving the chance in 1810 for the May Revolution to take place, as a prelude to the Declaration of Independence of Argentina of 1816. Viceroyalty of the R%C3%ADo de la Plata The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata ( Spanish : Virreinato del Río de la Plata or Spanish : Virreinato de las Provincias del Río de la Plata ) meaning "River of

3034-436: The importance of urban combat , in which the inhabitants employed cooking pots filled with burning oil and boiling water from rooftops, injuring several soldiers of the 88th Regiment. The locals eventually overwhelmed the British troops. The British suffered 1,000 casualties. By the end of 5 July 1807, the British controlled Retiro and Residencia at the cost of about 70 officers and 1,000 other ranks killed or wounded, but

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3108-465: The invasion. Baird promoted William Carr Beresford to general and designated him vice governor of the zone if it was taken. The expedition got reinforcements of 300 men from the Artillery and [St Helena] Regiment. The Spanish Viceroy, Marquis Rafael de Sobremonte , had asked the Spanish Crown for reinforcements many times, but only received a shipment of several thousand muskets and instructions to form

3182-580: The inventory" which was accepted by Britain. However, neither side relinquished sovereignty over the Malvinas. By the nineteenth century, Buenos Aires was becoming more self-sufficient, producing about 600,000 head of cattle annually (of which about one quarter was consumed locally). The area was rapidly developing. But wars with Great Britain meant a great setback for the region's economy, as maritime communications were practically paralyzed. The Upper Peru region started to show resistance to continued support of

3256-573: The king to be excluded from the new viceroyalty, which was accepted. The Cuyo region , with its main city Mendoza , was split from the Captaincy General of Chile. Leaders in Santiago resented this action as the Cuyo region had been originally settled by Spanish colonists from Chile. The Portuguese prime minister, Marquis of Pombal , encouraged the occupation of territory which had already been awarded to

3330-506: The largest in the Americas. A Portuguese colony was founded at Colonia del Sacramento , on the opposite bank of the Río de la Plata, in 1680. To deter Portuguese expansion, the Spanish founded Montevideo in 1726, and Colonia was finally ceded to Spain under the Treaty of San Ildefonso in 1777, one year after the creation of the Spanish Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata , the forerunner of modern Argentina . The South Sea Company

3404-474: The local marines playing an important part in defeating Brigadier-General Robert Craufurd and his two thousand troops at the Battle of Plaza del Mercado which is now recalled by the people of Buenos Aires as 'The Defence'. In the confusion of defeat, many British soldiers deserted their units and more than 50 were returned to the British and were court-martialed, while others were allowed to stay and would form part of

3478-512: The local militia and Spanish colonial army, in which half of the British forces were killed or wounded, the British were forced to capitulate and withdraw from Montevideo two months later. The social effects of the invasions are among the causes of the May Revolution . The criollos , who had so far been denied important positions, could get political strength through military roles. The successful resistance with little help from Spain fostered

3552-429: The main objective, to open new markets for the British economy. Although there was consensus for weakening Spanish control over its South American colonies, there was no agreement as to the system and the moment to take such action. For instance, it was not even agreed whether the cities be turned into British colonies after their capture or just be made into British protectorates. In 1805 Popham received orders to escort

3626-611: The main port. Admiral Vernon also declared the benefit of opening markets in those areas in 1741. By 1780 the British government approved a project of colonel William Fullarton to take the Americas with attacks from both the Atlantic (from Europe) and the Pacific (from India). This project was cancelled. In 1789 war between Great Britain and Spain seemed imminent after the Nootka Crisis . The Venezuelan revolutionary Francisco de Miranda took

3700-723: The more residential setting of the remaining stretches of the avenue. Past Coronel Díaz Avenue , the avenue provides easy access to the Alto Palermo Shopping Center, one of the most important in Buenos Aires. Entering the Palermo district, it continues past the Buenos Aires Zoo , the Botanical Garden and Plaza Italia , a point overlooked by the Monument to the "Sword of Italy," Giuseppe Garibaldi . The avenue continues past

3774-560: The new fort for Spain . On 7 May 1681, under the Provisional Treaty of Lisbon , it was ceded to Portugal . The Viceroyalty of Peru was requiring all commerce to go through the port of Lima , on the Pacific Ocean. This policy failed to develop the potential of Buenos Aires as an Atlantic port, adding months to the transport of goods and commodities in each direction. It resulted in encouraging widespread contraband activities in

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3848-486: The old Master or none at all) before leaving to Uruguay. Religious leaders swore loyalty as well, after the promise that the Roman Catholic religion would be respected. The Royal Audience ceased its activities. Some merchants were displeased by the repeal of the Spanish monopoly and the opening to British trade, as it harmed their interests; one of their leaders was Martín de Álzaga . Juan Martín de Pueyrredón organised

3922-606: The opportunity to appear before prime Minister William Pitt with his proposal to emancipate the New World territories under Portuguese and Spanish rule and turn them into a great independent empire governed by a descendant of the Incas . The plan presented in London requested the assistance of Great Britain and the United States to militarily occupy the major South American cities, ensuring that

3996-413: The people would greet the British cordially and would rush to organize sovereign governments. In return for this help, the British would receive the benefits of unrestricted trade and usufruct of the Isthmus of Panama, in order to build a channel for the passage of ships. Pitt accepted the proposal and began to organize the expedition. The Nootka Convention in 1790 ended hostilities, and the Miranda mission

4070-504: The plaza's leafy surroundings. It continues westward along the Retiro area, passing by the Brunetta (" Olivetti ") Building (built in 1964, one of the first in Buenos Aires designed in the International Style ) and through the massive Avenida 9 de Julio , which was opened through the Retiro area in the early 1970s. The Greek Revivalist Argentine Scientific Society and the Art Deco Regina Theatre follow and, past Avenida Callao , Santa Fe Avenue enters its Recoleta stretch. This stretch of

4144-574: The re-conquest. Sobremonte was doing the same in Córdoba, but Liniers got to Buenos Aires first. On 4 August 1806, Liniers landed at Las Conchas , north of Buenos Aires, and advanced with a mixed force of Buenos Aires line troops and Montevideo Militia toward the city. On 10 August he took control of the strategic points of Miserere and El Retiro, holding the north and west entries to the city. Beresford finally surrendered on 14 August. An open cabildo decided afterwards to depose Sobremonte from having military authority, and giving such authority, instead, to

4218-485: The region from the Spanish before the invasions. Attempts had been made by the British in past conflicts to establish a foothold in South America, like in the Battle of Cartagena de Indias , at the peak of the War of Jenkins' Ear . In 1711, John Pullen stated that the Río de la Plata was the best place in the world for making a British colonial trading base. His proposal included Santa Fe and Asunción , and would have generated an agricultural area with Buenos Aires as

4292-410: The revolutionary patriots entered Montevideo, following a two-year-long siege . The Viceroyalty was disestablished in 1825 as Spanish political entity with the fall of Upper Peru and the death of the last Viceroy Pedro Antonio Olañeta . In 1680, Manuel Lobo, Portuguese governor of Rio de Janeiro , created the Department of Colonia and founded Colónia do Sacramento . The fort was located on

4366-426: The royal authority and promote centralization. Buenos Aires had the main intendencia, and the other cities provincial ones. In 1778 Cevallos reinstated the Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires , by creating a new one; he maintained the Real Audiencia at Cochabamba . The Consulate of Commerce of Buenos Aires was authorized that year, but legal difficulties prevented its being established until 1794. In 1766, Spain acquired

4440-409: The superiority of his soldiers, he divided his army into 12 columns and advanced without the protection of the artillery . His army was met on the streets by a mixed-race militia, including 686 African slaves, stiffened by the local 1st Naval Infantry Battalion and 1st 'Patricios' Infantry Regiment , and fighting continued on the streets of Buenos Aires on 4 July and 5 July. Whitelocke underestimated

4514-418: The treasury to be kept safe in case of a foreign attack, he was seen as a coward by the population because of it. Initially the British forces were met with a lukewarm welcome by the residents of the city, with some wealthy families throwing feasts in honour of the British officers. Nevertheless, some political figures remained antagonistic. Manuel Belgrano said "Queremos al antiguo amo o a ninguno" (we want

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4588-481: The two successive defeats of the British expeditionary forces are known collectively as the "Reconquista" and the "Defensa", respectively. The invasions occurred in two phases. A detachment from the British army occupied Buenos Aires for 46 days in 1806 before being expelled. In 1807, a second force stormed and occupied Montevideo , remaining for several months, and a third force made a second attempt to take Buenos Aires. After several days of street fighting against

4662-465: The upscale thoroughfare is considered one of the main shopping districts in the city. Just past Callao Avenue, the former Grand Splendid Theatre was converted in 2000 into the El Ateneo Grand Splendid bookstore, the most important in Latin America. Past Pueyrredón Avenue , line [REDACTED] of the Buenos Aires Underground was laid out underneath Santa Fe in the 1920s. The availability of frequent subway stations past this point has helped maintain

4736-448: The victorious Liniers. Sobremonte would not return to Buenos Aires, and moved to Montevideo instead. The open cabildo also decided to prepare the city against the possibility of a British counter-attack. Foreseeing the possibility of a second invasion, militias were formed by the Spanish and criollos , such as the Patricios , Arribeños, Húsares (of Pueyrredón ), Pardos and Morenos. The creation of such local forces created concern within

4810-437: The walls, the British met heavy resistance as the Spanish fought to halt their advance, but they gradually spread out and forced back the defenders. On the other side of the city a second assault was launched, spearheaded by the 87th Regiment of Foot taking the Spanish defenders in the rear. The Spanish Governor Ruiz Huidobro accepted Auchmuty's demand of unconditional surrender around 5:00 a.m. The Spanish took 600 casualties and

4884-497: The way Whitelocke had conducted himself, and for having surrendered to a largely militia force. Whitelocke would claim that in the 71st Regiment of Foot alone there were 170 deserters. Liniers was later named Viceroy of the Río de la Plata by the Spanish Crown. According to Uruguayan journalist Juan José de Soiza Reilly, some 3,000 British dead are today buried in a mass grave under passageway Cinco de Julio near Avenida Belgrano in downtown Buenos Aires. In commemoration of

4958-413: The western shore of the Río de la Plata estuary flowing into the Atlantic Ocean, opposite the Portuguese outpost of Colonia del Sacramento , was chosen as the capital. Usually considered one of the late Bourbon Reforms , the organization of this viceroyalty was motivated on both commercial grounds (Buenos Aires was by then a major spot for illegal trade ), as well as on security concerns brought about by

5032-440: Was besieged at 2:00am by a 15,000 strong British force in a joint military and naval operation under General Sir Samuel Auchmuty and a naval squadron under Admiral Sir Charles Stirling . Reinforcements for the defenders came en route from Buenos Aires, so that the rapid success of the operation was essential. Swiftly breached, the city was then assaulted by the 40th regiment and the elite 95th (Rifle) regiment. Once inside

5106-429: Was canceled. Nicholas Vansittart made a new proposal in 1796: the plan was to take Buenos Aires, then move to Chile and attack from there the Spanish stronghold of El Callao in Peru . This proposal was canceled the following year, but was improved by Thomas Maitland in 1800 as the Maitland Plan . The new plan was to seize control of Buenos Aires with 4,000 soldiers and 1,500 cavalry, move to Mendoza, and prepare

5180-432: Was effectively dissolved locally when the rebel troops entered Montevideo after a two-year-long siege. The war remained in Upper Peru until 1825. The Real Audiencia of Charcas was established in 1559, but became part of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata in 1776. It met in the city of La Plata until it was disestablished in 1825. It had the following provinces under its authority: The Real Audiencia of Buenos Aires

5254-437: Was established in 1776 from several former Viceroyalty of Perú dependencies that mainly extended over the Río de la Plata Basin , roughly the present-day territories of Argentina , Chile , Bolivia , Paraguay and Uruguay , extending inland from the Atlantic Coast. The colony of Spanish Guinea (present-day Equatorial Guinea ) also depended administratively on the Viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata. Buenos Aires , located on

5328-515: Was established in 1785. It met in the city of Buenos Aires until it was disestablished in 1813. It had the following provinces under its authority: The Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata was created in 1776 by Charles III of Spain . Although it functioned as a Spanish colony, Río de la Plata was technically a personal possession of the King of Spain . This allowed both European Spain and its overseas territories to have their own laws and regulations. The king of Spain appointed viceroys to govern

5402-615: Was granted trading concessions in South America in the time of Queen Anne , under the Treaty of Utrecht . The British had long harboured ambitions in South America, considering the estuary of the Río de la Plata as the most favourable location for a British colony. The Napoleonic Wars played a key role in the Rio de la Plata conflict and since the beginning of the European conquest of the Americas ,

5476-489: Was tasked with promoting local production of linen and hemp as export commodity crops, to supply the Spanish cloth industries that the Bourbons sought to favor. The conditions imposed by Spain on local commerce were high, but Charles III sought to lighten the burden. He allowed commerce through Buenos Aires on Spanish flag ships that were manned with Spanish naval officers. The ports of Buenos Aires and Montevideo were included in

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