Abstract

HOZMAN-MORA, Julián. "The Useful Female Presence": Political Participation of Literate Women from the Department of Oriente, State of Boyacá during the Second Half of the 19^th Century. Historelo.rev.hist.reg.local [online]. 2022, vol.14, n.30, pp.144-176.  Epub May 03, 2022. ISSN 2145-132X.  https://doi.org/10.15446/historelo.v14n30.93867.

Between 1857 and 1886, the southeastern part of the State of Boyacá was officially nominated as the Department of Oriente, where a provincial elite notablato (group of notable owners holding public offices) operated politically, which was comprised of, in addition to lawyers and rábulas (a sort of pettifogger), literate women who participated in the politics of their community; a female activity that was questioned by conservative sectors of the territory. This argumentative exercise sought to bring this female participation to light and showed the autonomous political exercise of these literate women, who were not subject to the male will. This was possible through the tracing and interpretation of personal correspondence as the main source, addressing the political activity of some women in that territory, approaching their dynamics, languages and relationships. It was concluded that, in addition to the household role, some of them acted as political assistants, producers and diffusers of liberal ideas. In addition, it was evident that, by using their literate capacity, they mediated between the notables and the people; they were vehement defenders of their party, helping to strengthen useful alliances to build networks of power and to strengthen the republican model in the context of small districts.

Keywords : literate women; politics; networks of power; republicanism; State of Boyacá.

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