Historical Background of One Hundred Years of Solitude A Presentation by Annie Strachan and Paige Beaty

Early Life Gabriel García Marquéz born March 6, 1928 in Aracataca, Northern Colombia. Lived with grandparents and aunts in Aracataca for first 8 years. After the death of his grandparents, he returned to his parents living in Sucre. Sent to boarding school in Barranquilla at 8 or 9. He enrolled in Law School in Bogotá at his parents’ suggestion, although he wanted to become a journalist.

Later Life While studying in Bogotá, read Kafka’s Metamorphosis Began writing fiction and was published in newspapers during the mid 1940s. Continued to study law until 1950. Influenced by El grupo de Barranquilla Worked for a variety of Colombian newspapers throughout the 1950s Temporarily exiled from Colombia in 1955 Published Leaf Storm, introducing the fictional town of Macondo.

Political Repercussions Returned to Latin America in 1958 In Venezuela, he worked for Momento, a newspaper that he quit when they took a decidedly pro-American stance. Emigrated to Cuba with his wife, where their first son was born in 1959. Published No One Writes to the Colonel in 1961 and Big Mama’s Funeral in 1962 while living in Mexico City. His book In Evil Hour, originally titled This Town of Shit dealt with la violencia. Three years of writer’s block began in 1962, until he was able to write One Hundred Years of Solitude, published in 1967.

Colonialism and Independence The Spanish settled in Colombia as early as the 1500s. First permanent settlement in Santa Marta 1525. July 20, 1810 citizens of Bogotá created the first representative council defying Spanish rule. War for independence ended after the Battle of Boyaca on August 7, 1819. “Republic of Colombia” 1886

Conservatives and Liberals 1849: Two political parties form, the Liberals and the Conservatives. Both parties tended to be corrupt, repressive and abused power. Parties acted as territorial and familial units. Liberal and Conservative Parties competed and cooperated with one another through the 19th and 20th centuries. Costeños: Coastal Caribbean. Racially mixed, outgoing, dancers, adventurers, more liberal. Cachacos: Central Highland. More formal, aristocratic, more conservative.

The Thousand Days War The Thousand Days War (1899-1902) a civil war between the Conservative and Liberal Parties. Conservative Party accused of holding fraudulent elections to stay in power. Conflict worsened by falling coffee prices in the international market which mostly affected the Liberal Party. Cost 100,000 lives. Most of those who died were peasants. Ended with the defeat of the Liberals.

Personal Significance Colonel Nicolás Ricardo Márquez Mejía, Liberal veteran of the Thousand Days War. The Colonel took García Márquez to see ice. The Colonel allegedly had 16 children. The Colonel refused to stay silent about the Banana Strike Massacre.

Banana Strike Massacre United Fruit Company, an American company that monopolized the banana industry. The United Fruit Company exploited Colombian workers. October 1928 workers went on strike and the Colombian government employed the military to end the strike. December in Ciénaga military troops fired on unarmed demonstrators. This event was stricken from history.

La Violencia La violencia, “The Violence,” a civil conflict between the Conservative and Liberal Parties throughout Colombia, taking place roughly from 1948 to 1958. Assasination of Liberal presidential candidate Jorge Eliécer Gaitán in April 1948 triggered large riots. This is considered the beginning of la violencia. In Evil Hour is García Márquez’s response to the events going on around him.

Period of Reconciliation: 1903-1930 After the Thousand Days War, the Liberals and Conservatives wanted to share power rather than be exclusive. General Rafael Reyes elected president in 1904: Centralized power by strengthening the executive, replaced Congress with a National Assembly. 1909 Thompson-Urrutia Treaty with the United States is unsuccessful. June 1909 Republic Union, bipartisan group of Liberals and Historical Conservatives opposes Reyes and reestablishes the Colombian Congress.

National Front Regime National Front agreement: Liberals and Conservatives agreed to be cooperative and share power in order to end the strife and violence. Began the gradual decline of confrontation between the two parties. Stalemate and inaction of governmental process.

One Hundred Years of Solitude García Márquez drew heavily on his personal experiences while writing One Hundred Years of Solitude, incorporating characters from his own past – especially from his own family, into the novel. Tranquilina Iguarán Cotés, García Márquez’s grandmother, told her grandson folktales, superstitions, ghost stories, greatly influenced his style as seen in One Hundred Years of Solitude. Locked himself up in his house for 18 months while writing the novel.

Bibliography “García Márquez.” http://www.themodernword.com/gabo/gabo_biography.html The Library of Congress Country Studies. “Colombia History Index” http://workmall.com/wfb2001/colombia/colombia_history_index.html Palacios, Marco. Between Legitimacy and Violence: A History of Colombia, 1875-2002. Durham: Duke Univeresity Press, 2006. Stafford, Frank. Colombia: Fragmented Land, Divided Society. New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Wiarda, H.J and H.F Kline eds. Latin American Politics and Development. Boulder: Perseus Books, 2000