Juan Manuel de Rosas becomes Caudillo of Argentina

Background. Juan Manuel de Rosas, nicknamed "Restorer of the Laws," was an Argentine politician and army officer who ruled Buenos Aires Province and briefly the Argentine Confederation. Born into a wealthy family, he independently amassed a personal fortune and acquired large tracts of land. This standing formed the context for his 1835 accession, when many believed only he could secure order in Buenos Aires.

Political Context. Following the execution of federalist governor Manuel Dorrego by Juan Lavalle, social unrest grew. Many believed only Rosas could secure order, as compromise governors Viamonte or Manuel Vicente Maza were seen as unable to do so. The murder of Facundo Quiroga in February 1835 increased this belief, leading the legislature to appoint Rosas governor later in the year with the sum of public power.

Consolidation of Power. The House of Representatives yielded, and on 7 March 1835 Rosas was reelected governor and invested with the suma del poder público (sum of public power). The supplied evidence also records that after his supporters launched a coup in Buenos Aires he was asked to return and once again took office as governor, and that when he entered the city of Buenos Aires he was hailed both as a victorious military leader and as the head of the Federalists; these passages do not date those events relative to the 1835 reelection. Earlier, in December 1829, Rosas had become governor and established a dictatorship backed by state terrorism.