The Vanguard of the Atlantic World: Creating Modernity, Nation, and Democracy in Nineteenth-Century Latin America

by James E. Sanders

In the nineteenth century, Latin America was home to the majority of the world's democratic republics. Many historians have dismissed these political experiments as corrupt pantomimes of governments of Western Europe and the United States. Challenging that perspective, James E. Sanders contends that Latin America in this period was a site of genuine political innovation and popular debate reflecting Latin Americans' visions of modernity. Drawing on archival sources in Mexico, Colombia, and Uruguay, Sanders traces the circulation of political discourse and democratic practice among urban elites, rural peasants, European immigrants, slaves, and freed blacks to show how and why ideas of liberty, democracy, and universalism gained widespread purchase across the region, mobilizing political consciousness and solidarity among diverse constituencies. In doing so, Sanders reframes the locus and meaning of political and cultural modernity.

Genres: History

352 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Darian Burns · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Vanguard of the Atlantic World by James Sanders argues that Latin America wasn't a corrupt copy of Western Europe. Rather, it reflected Latin America's modern vision and brought about political innovations and much-needed debate, which helped propel the region toward democratization, albeit fleeting and stumbling. Much historiography has dismissed Latin America during the mid-nineteenth century as a less sophisticated people who copied Europe without forethought or originality. Sanders seeks to redress that misconception. He demonstrates that Latin America generally accepted democracy. According to him, Latin America was the most democratic region on the planet rather than standing on the margins of democracy.

Sanders' first chapter focuses on soldiers who fought alongside Giuseppe Garibaldi and the Colorados during the 1840s Guerra Grande. In their fight, the Garibaldinos and Colorados invoked ideas of equality, natural rights, and citizenship. Abolition was also emphasized as a key component of civilization. However, slaves who wanted freedom were expected to fight for it. Rather than Europe being the only arbiter of civilized ideas, Latin Americans prior to 1850 conceived of natural rights and republican forms of government.

Sanders summarizes the shifting ideas of modern society during the first two decades after nationhood in the second chapter. The Western Europeans were skeptical of indigenous people's ability to handle republican responsibilities during these years. There was also tension between what Europeans believed about freedom and what they sought to establish in Latin America. A mentality of "free for me but not for thee."

The US-Mexican War of 1846-1848 provides the backdrop for chapter three. Sanders examines how Latin Americans' attitudes toward the United States changed. Latin American nations began to question whether the United States was a suitable model in their quest for freedom during this period.

In the book, chapter four is crucial. American republican modernity shaped Latin American public discourse in two major ways. The first was the idea that the Americas and not Europe were the vanguards of the future—the "vanguards of civilization" (81). Second was the idea that the "primary definition of civilization was now political: democracy and republicanism represented the future, while monarchy symbolized the past" (81). The Latin American nations saw themselves as the future. Their ideals reached forward, whereas Europe’s foundation was in the past rather than the future. In Latin America, people's sovereignty rather than monarchy was enshrined by popular participation in politics.

The fifth and sixth chapters examine Colombian David Pena and Chilean Francisco Bilbao, two of the century's most influential Latin American political thinkers. A republican modernist approach can be seen in their engagement in politics and writing.

The last chapter examines the birth of modern society in the 1880s. Priority was given to industry, economics, and technology. These new powers became Latin America's defining features at the end of the century.

Sanders is most compelling because of the distinctiveness of his argument when compared to the majority of historiographical thought concerning Latin America and modern republicanism. He uses research and primary sources to prove his thesis. In the end, while previous arguments may remain, Sanders has presented a compelling case supporting his thesis. This perspective demands engagement and consideration.

[Naomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've spent an entire semester reading books about subaltern participation in nation-state formation and this book tried to pull all that together in an argument about an american republican modernity and I just didn't fully buy it. It was an information overload that served to divert attention from the overall argument through too many details and too many case studies.

[Aura · Rating 5 out of 5]

FANTASTIC work! Necessary contribution to our deconstruction of modernity. Great to see Latin America outside dependency theory in the post-independence era.

[Kari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easy book. Good arguments. Bad, dumbed-down execution.