Unitarian Party

Unitarianists or Unitarians (in Spanish, Unitarios) were the proponents of the concept of a unitary state (centralized government) in Buenos Aires during the civil wars that shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces. Argentine unitarianism was an ideologic grouping, not a religious one. As such, it is unrelated to religious Unitarianism. History In the Argentine War of Independence the forces of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata fought Spanish royalists who attempted to regain control of their American colonies after the Napoleonic Wars. After the victorious May Revolution of 1810, disagreements arose between the dominant province of Buenos Aires, who were known as Unitarianists, and the other provinces of Argentina, known as the Federalists. These were evident at least as early as the declaration of Argentine independence in 1816. The Unitarianists lost their controlling power after the Battle of Cepeda (1820), which was followed by several months of chaos. However, the Unitarianists were forced to sign a treaty with other provinces. This did not solve the conflicts between the Federalists and the Unitarians.