The liberal political reform. El Educador Popular and the religious controversy in Arequipa for its educational proposal (1874)

Abstract

This article aims to analyze the scope and consequences of the arrival and dissemination in Peru of El Educador Popular, an educational manual edited by the Peruvian educator José Arnaldo Márquez in the United States. This manual would constitute an important instrument of the Pardo government, used to disseminate new knowledge and educational methods. The main consequence of the arrival of this manual was the opposition of conservative sectors, who led protests in the city of Arequipa. The figure of the Spanish priest José Maria Masiá stands out, who was the main speaker of the uprising. By way of conclusion, this work aims to demonstrate that the resistance of Peruvian conservatism was due to the different ideas that the manuals provided, linked to liberalism. The main contribution of these manuals was to bring scientific knowledge such as geography or mathematics to students, something that would detach them from traditional religious teachings. This distance from religion led to a process of secularization, an aspect that is developed in the article.