María Remedios del Valle, Nineteenth-Century Argentina

Abstract

The Argentine government, under the recommendation of various advocacy groups and historians agreed upon November 8 because the day commemorates the death of María Remedios del Valle, an African descendant, otherwise known as the "Capitana" and the "Mother of the Nation", who died on November 8, 1847. First a nurse and later conferred as a captain by General Manuel Belgrano during the wars of independence, the government noted that Remedios del Valle represented thousands of Afro descendants that fought for our country. For her efforts on the battlefield, her fellow soldiers granted her the honor of being known as "the Mother of the Nation". María Remedios de Valle story provides a means to explain the more familial and civic efforts of women. She is remembered as the "Mother of the Nation," and this title reflects the larger role of women and in particular women of African descent in the republic. But irony cannot be underestimated. Remedios del Valle, a black female heroine is the mother of a white nation. How is that possible? To test answers to this question, we propose to delve into the history and the symbolism of María Remedios del Valle.