History of Uruguay

The history of Uruguay traces Indigenous societies, Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule, independence, political conflict, and the development of the modern state.

Connect

Indigenous peoples of Uruguay: The Indigenous communities who inhabited the territory of present-day Uruguay before and during European colonization. Charrúa and other peoples lived in the region before Spanish conquest and resisted colonial control.
Uruguayan Civil War: A conflict from 1839 to 1851 between Uruguay’s Blancos and Colorados, involving regional powers and foreign intervention. The war entrenched the rival parties that dominated nineteenth-century politics.
Civic-military dictatorship in Uruguay: Uruguay’s authoritarian regime from 1973 to 1985, established after the military dissolved parliament. It suspended democratic rule and subjected opponents to imprisonment, torture, and exile.
Montevideo: Uruguay’s capital and largest city, founded by the Spanish in the eighteenth century. Its port, fortifications, and political institutions concentrated colonial and national power.
History of Argentina: The history of Argentina spans Indigenous societies, Spanish rule, independence, political conflict, and modern state formation. Shared colonial and revolutionary histories diverged as Uruguay became a separate state.
Spanish colonization of Uruguay: The Spanish occupation and settlement of the territory that became Uruguay, beginning in the sixteenth century. Spanish rule established Montevideo and competed with Portuguese expansion from Brazil.
Blanco Party: A Uruguayan political party founded in 1836, later known as the National Party. Its rivalry with the Colorados structured political conflict after independence.
Tupamaros: The National Liberation Movement–Tupamaros was a Uruguayan urban guerrilla organization active mainly in the 1960s and early 1970s. Its armed campaign and state repression preceded the military takeover.
Uruguayan War: The 1864–1865 conflict in which Brazil invaded Uruguay amid a civil war and regional rivalries. Brazilian intervention changed the balance of power in Uruguay and the Río de la Plata.
History of Brazil: The history of Brazil traces Indigenous societies, Portuguese colonization, empire, republic, and modern development. Brazil was both a neighboring power and a former ruler of Uruguay’s eastern territory.