Books, letters, lectures: Revision history in Angentina and Paraguay through epistolary Exchanges between David Peña and Juan E. O’Leary

Abstract

This paper focuses on the analysis of the exchange of letters between the Argentine David Peña and the Paraguayan Juan E. O'Leary, two historians that by the early twentieth century embarkedon aprocess of reviewing the history of the irrespective countries. The study of therates of that exchange allows, in turn, consider some features  of the biographies that they produced about Juan Facundo Quiroga and Francisco Solano Lopez, and balance the influence that the work  of the Argentinehadin the historiographical practice of the Paraguayan, as well asprovide information to a better understanding of the ways in whichthe works of historians belonging to the nations of the River Plate area spread throughout the region and circulated.  From the methodological level,the results contribute to highlight the importance of the letters exchanged between historians to clarify their conceptions of the past and its usefulness to contrast with historical discourses producedin the public space.