author
Charles W. Whittemore
Best known for a concise early-20th-century study of Argentina’s break from Spanish rule, this writer comes across as a careful guide to a pivotal moment in Latin American history. The surviving record is slim, but the work itself suggests a clear, historically minded speaker writing for an English-speaking audience in Buenos Aires.
1 Audiobook
Notes on the History of Argentine Independence
by Charles W. Whittemore
About the author
Charles W. Whittemore is an elusive figure in the historical record, and readily available sources confirm only a small amount about him with confidence. He is credited as the author of Notes on the History of Argentine Independence, a work that was originally presented as a paper before the American Club of Buenos Aires on February 6, 1920.
That book focuses on Argentina’s path to independence and reflects a strong interest in South American history, especially the political and military forces behind the revolution. Modern library and public-domain listings suggest that this is the main work currently associated with his name, so it is safest to describe him as a historical writer or lecturer rather than make broader claims about his life or career.
What makes Whittemore interesting today is the perspective his work preserves: an English-language account of Argentine independence written for an expatriate or international audience in Buenos Aires not long after the events had become part of the nation’s historical memory. Even with little biographical detail surviving, his writing remains a useful window into how Argentina’s independence story was explained to readers a century ago.