Sarmiento’s Uses during the Peronist Period: An Interpretation of the “General Perón Children’s Library” (1948).

Abstract

The general objective of this work is to explore the uses of the past, particularly those of Domingo F. Sarmiento, in the books published for common education during the early Peronist era. In this case, I will specifically consider the “Biblioteca Infantil General Perón” published in 1948 and authored by Adolfo Díez Gómez. As I understand it, although this series of texts is not part of the works approved by the Perón government for mandatory classroom courses, its content offers initial indications of some of the discourse subsequently imparted by the Peronist administration in common schools. Therefore, and continuing the line of research I have been developing for some time, I am interested in interrogating the uses of history, using Sarmiento, a key figure in the national pantheon, as a strategic entry. My specific reading seeks to explore the Sarmiento-like facets used by the author of the collection to justify certain particularities of Peronism.