Federal and White. National Formations and Party Political Identities in the River Plate Region during the López Jordán Revolution of 1870

Abstract

This article investigates the political party identities in the River Plate region in the second half of the 19th century, when national states where formed. It analyzes López Jordán’s revolution in Entre Ríos and starts from the verification that the opposing sides in it took the names of the Uruguayan parties “white” and “colorado”, although in coexistence with other oppositions: “federal / unitario” and “entrerriano / porteño”. Despite the long-standing ties between the sides of Uruguay River and the connection of the White Party with the Federal Party, it was not until 1870 when - through the names - that identity seemed to merge. It is argued that the political events in Uruguay in the 1860s and their particular impact on Entre Rios politics, together with the crisis of the Federal Party after Pavón’s defeat, explain this chronology.

Keywords:
Political identities; River Plate region; Federal Party; White Party; nineteenth-century