The Congress of Tucuman was an assembly of citizens that was formed after the political crisis of 1815, in Buenos Aires, and that achieved the signing of the Act of Independence of the United Provinces of the Río de La Plata, within the framework of the Independence of Argentina .

The congress began to meet in March 1816, after a call that had been made through the provisional Statute of 1815 . Their meetings took place, from March 24, 1816 to January 16, 1817, in the city of San Miguel de Tucumán .

These sessions were held in the house of Francisca Bazán de Laguna , which was specially equipped for the occasion, because there were no suitable places for meetings of a large group such as the Congress of Tucumán.

However, until February 11, 1820, when their functions ceased, the congress had moved its meetings to Buenos Aires , due to the risk of the advance of the royalist army in the north of the province.

At the time of the declaration of independence, the Congress of Tucumán was made up of 32 deputies, of which 29 signed the act . These came from all the country’s provinces, except Corrientes, Santa Fe and Entre Ríos.

In addition to signing the Act of Independence, the Congress of Tucumán stands out for having achieved the Argentine Constitution of 1819.

Enhance your reading: How did Bolivia gain independence/main battles/causes

Causes that led to the Congress of Tucuman

The origin of the congress is related to the independence movements that arose throughout America in the early years of the 18th century , which led to the events of the May Revolution of 1810.

• See also: Causes of the Independence of Argentina .

In the deliberations of the Buenos Aires town hall, it was stated that the people of Buenos Aires could not by themselves make all the momentous decisions that corresponded to the Provinces of Río de la Plata .

As a result, it was decided to form the Congress of Tucuman  in a more neutral place and where all the deputies could attend. In addition, this city had had a great participation in the independence movements and its deputies were highly respected.

Enhance your reading: What is congress of Tucumán/causes/objectives/achievement

Objectives

The fundamental objectives of the Congress of Tucuman were the following:

1. Declare independence.
2. Take over the government.
3. To dictate a constitution for the United Provinces of Río de la Plata.

Achievements

Among the main achievements of the Congress of Tucumán are the following:

1. Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1816 , definitively breaking the dependency ties with the Spanish monarchy.
2. The election of Juan Martín de Pueyrredón as supreme director, on May 3, 1816, and of Manuel Belgrano as commander of the northern army.
3. Opinion of the provisional regulation of 1817 , which governed the administration and direction of the State, until the final sanction of a National Constitution.
4. Sanction of the definitive Constitution of the United Provinces of Río de la Plata, on April 22, 1819 , which was sworn in on May 25 of that same year.
5. Compliance with numerous legislative and judicial functions .