The Emancipation of South America

One of the earliest significant works on historiography of Argentina, The Emancipation of South America, delivers a true and precise biography of San Martin, a great military commander, and one of the Liberators of Spanish South America who was regarded as a national hero of Argentina, Chile, and Peru. Since Martin’s life could not be understood unless a complete narrative of the events, he took part in during that period was provided, this work becomes a powerful portrayal of the history of Argentina. The Emancipation of South America is a translation of Bartolomé Mitre's Historia de San Martín y de la emancipación Sudamericana, by William Pilling. In 1892, Pilling wrote from London to Mitre. In his letter, Pilling informed Mitre that to catch the public's attention, he had changed the title, using the actual subtitle instead. In his opinion, "The Emancipation of South America" was somewhat more appealing to English readers than "History of San Martin." Pilling's translation is a precise presentation of the sense and content of the work by Mitre. It comprises a brilliant contribution to the historiography of the independentist revolution in Latin America.