Chapter 2, Buenos Aires Summary and Analysis

When Evita moved to Buenos Aires, it had grown to contain more than two and a half million people, making it the largest city in South America. The Federal Government was located there, as were many major industries. The city was full of migrants of distinct ethnic communities. The country's middle class was formed by second and third generation immigrants. Above them in class was the Oligarchy, the aristocratic families who owned massive amounts of land in the countryside. They lived incredibly lavish lives.

The dominant ideology of the period was still 19th century liberalism, affirming separation of church and state, free trade, and encouraging European immigration. The Argentine constitution was built on the American one. In 1912, the Radical Party, which spoke for the Argentine middle class, won by a large margin after universal male suffrage was...