A CHILEAN MILITARY OFFICER’S PERCEPTIONS OF NORTH AMERICAN CULTURE DURING THE PERIOD OF INDEPENDENCE: THE JOURNEY OF JOSÉ MIGUEL CARRERA TO THE UNITED STATES (1815-16)

Abstract

During the nineteenth century, many Latin American scholars portrayed the United States in their writings and they painted a picture of the country as a place of technological progress and material wealth. At the end of the century, due to the North American political presence on the continent, there arose the necessity to emphasize Latin American aspects, as opposed to Anglo-Saxon culture. I intend to show how, from the earliest days of independence in Latin America, specific aspects of North American culture were identified, which highlighted contrasts in relation to the Hispanic part of the continent. The primary source that was used was the diary of the Chilean José Miguel Carrera, in which he recounts his trip to the United States between 1815 and 1816.