Artiguism
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Artiguism (Spanish: Artiguismo) is the set of political, economic and social ideas of José Gervasio Artigas,[1] the main leader of the Oriental Revolution held in the Oriental Province of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata, which was a predecessor of the modern Oriental Republic of Uruguay.
Artiguism has two main sources: the works of American authors such as Thomas Paine (supporters of federalism) and the French authors of the Enlightenment as Jean-Jacques Rousseau. Artigas read books in his teens such as "Common Sense" by Paine and "The Social Contract" by Rousseau.
The ideology of Artigas is partially taken from the U.S. legal texts. American political liberalism exerted a strong influence on him. Other Hispanic independence leaders, however, were more influenced by the French Revolution and the authors of France. Some historians, such as Eugenio Petit Muñoz and Ariosto González, have shown that paragraphs of artiguist documents were taken directly from "The Independence of the Mainland Justified by Thomas Paine, Thirty Years Ago," a work which was published by Paine in Philadelphia in 1811 and translated immediately into Spanish. Another source for artiguist writing was the "Concise History of the United States" by John McCulloch. Artigas had both books.
The first of the works cited contained a large appendix of documents with the United States Declaration of Independence, the Federal Constitution of 1787 and the State Constitutions of Massachusetts, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Virginia.
Artigas was educated at a Franciscan Catholic school, from which he retired to the ranches of his father, which were located in the current land bordering Villa de Casupá. In the first stage of his life he was not influenced by revolutionary ideas. His education was not very orthodox, although he showed flashes of brilliance. They chroniclers at the time of purification, when he had 3 or 4 secretaries, reported that he dictated letters simultaneously to the four, with surprising clarity. Those were related to administrative and political organization, through diplomatic letters and minor issues as refunds of goods to villagers, or set pensions for widows and children of its fighters killed in action. During his association with the campaign he gained experience for the revolution which took place later.
In the opinion of author Carlos Maggi, Artigas was influenced in his teens by his relationship with the natives, black peoples and gauchos. He mixed his roots, his readings and his contact with high society in Montevideo and the outcasts. [citation needed]