A incorporação de novos territórios na Argentina, no final do século XIX: a Campanha do Deserto e as estradas de ferro

Abstract

This study is aimed at examining one of the peculiar features of the period of high growth of the Argentinean economy in the late XIX century, namely the expressive incorporation of new regions a fact that shaped the current Argentinean territorial space. The expansion of the borders of the country involved the incorporation of large extensions of fertile lands for agriculture and the increasing integration of this nation into the world economy. This process was favored by two interrelated factors: the Desert Campaign, and the building of railroads. The Desert Campaign included a series of military operations carried out by the Argentinean authorities that led to the ousting of the native Indian population of the southern regions of Buenos Aires. The construction of the railroads led to the integration of this territory into the rest of the country. The first part of this article discusses the issue of the territorial expansion, which is a subject directly related to the Desert Campaign. The second one examines the role of the railroads in the final phase of this Campaign and the third one presents the land appropriation policies existing during that period.