Please join the Comparative Historical Social Sciences as they host Ph.D Candidate Ana Vedovato, Northwestern University.
Abstract: This paper explores how the process of 19th-century Latin American independence and state formation influenced the configuration of international sovereignty norms. I argue that postcolonial independence in Latin America was not only about self-rule but also a claim for inclusion in an emerging international system. Going beyond the phase of colonial emancipation and establishment of local authority as goals of state formation, I show how the quest for sovereignty recognition and international membership fundamentally shaped the emergence of the Latin American nation-state. Following that, the analysis reveals that Latin American claims played a crucial role in shaping norms of external recognition, establishing it as a fundamental principle of international sovereignty, as well as a condition for states to exist as autonomous political units in the international system. Drawing on original archival research and comparative historical analysis methods, this paper shows the significance of Latin American experiences in shaping modern international norms and procedures of sovereignty recognition.
Ana Vedovato is a Political Science PhD Candidate at Northwestern University. Vedovato studies the relationship between conflict and international order, and has spent the last years studying the historical and long-term effects of war on Latin American state and regional formation. Her dissertation project is focused on 19th-century independences in Latin America and the emergence of international norms of sovereignty recognition.
Ariel Sowers
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