Pedro De Angelis y la historia intelectual argentina de la primera mitad del siglo XIX

Abstract

Neapolitan intellectual Pedro de Angelis is one of the most fascinating and controversial figures of Argentinean historiography from the first half of the nineteenth century. After arriving in Rio de la Plata in 1826, he was hired by the government of President Rivadavia and immediately became a key figure in the intellectual life of Rio de la Plata. He introduced Vico; created the Ateneo Argentino; collaborated with the University of Buenos Aires; investigated the geographical boundaries of the country; drew up the country’s first historical archive since the revolution of 1810; studied local languages; and wrote a draft of the national Constitution, among many other accomplishments. For some, De Angelis was the first Argentinean historian; however, for others, he was simply “the archivist” of Juan Manuel de Rosas. For all, he was certainly a key player in the cultural history of Rio de la Plata.