Domingo Faustino Sarmiento
| Domingo F. Sarmiento | |
|---|---|
Sarmiento in 1874
|
|
| 7th President of Argentina | |
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In office October 12, 1868 – October 11, 1874 |
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| Vice President | Adolfo Alsina |
| Preceded by | Bartolomé Mitre |
| Succeeded by | Nicolás Avellaneda |
| Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship | |
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In office September 6, 1879 – October 9, 1879 |
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| President | Nicolás Avellaneda |
| Preceded by | Manuel Montes de Oca |
| Succeeded by | Lucas González |
| Minister of the Interior | |
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In office August 29, 1879 – October 9, 1879 |
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| President | Nicolás Avellaneda |
| Preceded by | Bernardo de Irigoyen |
| Succeeded by | Benjamín Zorrilla |
| Governor of San Juan | |
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In office January 3, 1862 – April 9, 1864 |
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| Preceded by | Francisco Díaz |
| Succeeded by | Santiago Lloveras |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 15, 1811 San Juan |
| Died | September 11, 1888 (aged 77) Asunción, Paraguay |
| Nationality | Argentine |
| Political party | Liberal |
| Spouse(s) |
Benita Martínez Pastoriza (m. 1847–1857); separated |
| Domestic partner | Aurelia Vélez Sársfield (1857–1888); his death |
| Children | Ana Faustina Domingo Fidel |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 Argentina |
| Service/branch |
 Argentine Army
|
| Years of service | 1834–1863 |
| Rank |
 Divisional General
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Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (February 15, 1811 – September 11, 1888) was an Argentine activist, intellectual, writer, statesman and the seventh President of Argentina. His writing spanned a wide range of genres and topics, from journalism to autobiography, to political philosophy and history. He was a member of a group of intellectuals, known as the Generation of 1837, who had a great influence on nineteenth-century Argentina. He was particularly concerned with educational issues and was also an important influence on the region's literature.
Sarmiento grew up in a poor but politically active family that paved the way for much of his future accomplishments. Between 1843 and 1850 he was frequently in exile, and wrote in both Chile and in Argentina. His greatest literary achievement was Facundo, a critique of Juan Manuel de Rosas, that Sarmiento wrote while working for the newspaper El Progreso during his exile in Chile. The book brought him far more than just literary recognition; he expended his efforts and energy on the war against dictatorships, specifically that of Rosas, and contrasted enlightened Europe—a world where, in his eyes, democracy, social services, and intelligent thought were valued—with the barbarism of the gaucho and especially the caudillo, the ruthless strongmen of nineteenth-century Argentina.
While president of Argentina from 1868 to 1874, Sarmiento championed intelligent thought—including education for children and women—and democracy for Latin America. He also took advantage of the opportunity to modernize and develop train systems, a postal system, and a comprehensive education system. He spent many years in ministerial roles on the federal and state levels where he travelled abroad and examined other education systems.
Sarmiento died in Asunción, Paraguay, at the age of 77 from a heart attack. He was buried in Buenos Aires. Today, he is respected as a political innovator and writer.
Sarmiento was born in Carrascal, a poor suburb of San Juan, Argentina on February 15, 1811. His father, José Clemente Quiroga Sarmiento y Funes, had served in the military during the wars of independence, returning prisoners of war to San Juan. His mother, Doña Paula Zoila de Albarracín e Irrázabal, was a very pious woman, who lost her father at a young age and was left with very little to support herself. As a result, she took to selling her weaving in order to afford to build a house of her own. On September 21, 1801, José and Paula were married. They had 15 children, 9 of whom died; Domingo was the only son to survive to adulthood. Sarmiento was greatly influenced by his parents, his mother who was always working hard, and his father who told stories of being a patriot and serving his country, something Sarmiento strongly believed in. In Sarmiento's own words:
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Wikipedia