José Hernández
Who was José Hernández?
Argentine writer (1834-1886)
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on José Hernández (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
José Rafael Hernández y Pueyrredón was born on November 10, 1834, in Chacras del Perdriel, near Buenos Aires, Argentina. He grew up in a time of political turmoil, with conflicts between Federalists and Unitarians affecting both his personal and professional life. After losing his mother as a child, he was partly raised on the pampas among gauchos and rural workers, whose lives would later inspire his most famous literary work.
Hernández had a diverse career in journalism, business, military service, and politics. He fought with the Federalists in several conflicts and supported the leader Justo José de Urquiza. He founded and edited newspapers like El Río de la Plata, where he argued for federalism and defended the rural poor against Buenos Aires's centralizing policies. His work as a merchant and his time on the frontier gave him firsthand knowledge of the gaucho life, unlike urban politicians and writers who were often out of touch or idealized it.
In 1872, Hernández published El gaucho Martín Fierro, a narrative poem about a gaucho forced into the Argentine army, separated from his family, and driven to live outside the law. The poem quickly became popular, selling thousands of copies. In 1879, he released the sequel, La vuelta de Martín Fierro, where the main character returns from exile and shares lessons on surviving unjust society. Together, these works form one of the Spanish language's most important literary pieces, known collectively as Martín Fierro.
Besides writing, Hernández was a senator and deputy in the Argentine legislature, focusing on issues like land reform and representing provincial interests. He also worked as a stenographer in the Buenos Aires legislature, showing his deep involvement in civic matters. He consistently promoted integrating gauchos into Argentine society instead of marginalizing and persecuting them.
Hernández died on October 21, 1886, in Belgrano, which was then a separate area before becoming part of Buenos Aires. He was 51. Over the years, literary critics and nationalists have recognized Martín Fierro as a key work in Argentina's cultural history.
Before Fame
Hernández grew up during the civil wars that split Argentina in the decades after independence. After his mother's early death, he spent important years on ranches in the province of Buenos Aires, working with gauchos and gaining a firsthand understanding of life on the pampas. This upbringing gave him both linguistic and cultural closeness to the gaucho world, which set him apart from most of his literary peers.
Before becoming known as a writer, Hernández worked as a store clerk and merchant, joined military campaigns, and got involved in political journalism. His opposition to the centralist government of Buenos Aires led him to exile in Montevideo and Paraná at different times. It was during a stable period, while living in a hotel room in Buenos Aires in 1872, that he wrote the first part of Martín Fierro, based on years of accumulated experience and political belief.
Key Achievements
- Authored El gaucho Martín Fierro (1872) and La vuelta de Martín Fierro (1879), collectively regarded as the Argentine national epic.
- Founded and edited the newspaper El Río de la Plata, using it as a platform for Federalist politics and gaucho rights.
- Served as both a deputy and senator in the Argentine legislature, contributing to debates on land policy and provincial governance.
- Elevated gaucho speech and oral tradition into a formally recognized literary language, influencing Argentine literature for generations.
- His birthday was designated as Argentina's Día de la Tradición, a national holiday celebrated annually on November 10.
Did You Know?
- 01.Hernández reportedly wrote the first part of El gaucho Martín Fierro in a Buenos Aires hotel room over a short and concentrated period in 1872.
- 02.The first edition of El gaucho Martín Fierro sold out rapidly and went through numerous printings, making it one of the best-selling books in nineteenth-century Argentina.
- 03.Argentina celebrates November 10, Hernández's birthday, as Día de la Tradición, a national holiday honoring gaucho culture and Argentine traditions.
- 04.Hernández was a practicing stenographer in the Buenos Aires provincial legislature, a technical skill uncommon among prominent literary figures of his era.
- 05.Despite writing one of Argentina's most celebrated works, Hernández spent much of his life as a political exile due to his Federalist sympathies and opposition to the Buenos Aires elite.