HAS EVERYTHING TO BE DONE BY FORCE OF WAR AND BLOOD?... REFLECTIONS ON THE PACIFICATION OF AMERICA IN THE SPANISH PUBLIC DEBATE OF 1821

Abstract

During the second spanish liberal experience, the press played a crucial role as a space for analysis,
discussion, debate, and controversy that simmered in the highest spheres of power, including the
complex and ever-changing issue of American dissent and the desired independence. The
prominence of both public opinion and public debate was evident. In this tumultuous context of
mid-1821, the development of political journalism as a groundbreaking revelation contributed
to the formation of identities and the construction of political life in both Spain and America.
This article highlights the public debate on the pacification of America and the paths that should
be forged for a post-independence relationship, although the focus is particularly on the revered
New Spain, a perennial concern in this conflict. The participating columnists freely expressed
their opinions and offered solutions to the sensitive problem under discussion, exerting an
unavoidable influence on public opinion and generating debates on how to put an end to the
bloody effusion that had overshadowed the region for over a decade. At least within a sector of
Spanish society, there was hope of finding a path towards lasting peace and a promising future
for the Spanish territories on both sides of the Atlantic.