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of Napoleon's advance into Spain (see Peninsular War) and the deposing of
the Spanish King Ferdinand VII (1784-1833) reached Buenos Aires in 1810
and triggered an insurrection. Spanish troops failed to suppress it. The
Spanish viceroy was removed and replaced by a provisional junta, including
Cornelio Saavedra (1760-1828), Mariano Moreno (1778-1811), Manuel Belgrano
(1780-1820), and Bernardino Rivadavia (1780-1845), who set up the United
Provinces of the Rio de la Plata on May 25, 1810. While feigning loyalty
to the Spanish Crown, the junta exiled royal officials, eased trade
regulations, and unsuccessfully invited allegiance from the provinces of
the former Spanish viceroyalty (present-day Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay
and Bolivia). Argentina effectively won its independence from Spain.
Violent internal disagreements and clashes led to the replacement of the
junta by a triumvirate in September 1811. On July 9, 1816, an Argentine
congress met at Tucuman, declaring Argentine independence and adopting a
constitution.
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