The Argentine cockade

Cockade

A cockade is a knot of ribbons, or other circular- or oval-shaped symbol of distinctive colors which is usually worn on a hat.-Eighteenth century:...

is one of the national symbols of Argentina

Argentina

Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...

, instituted by decree on February 18, 1812 by the First Triumvirate

First Triumvirate (Argentina)

The First Triumvirate was the executive body of government that replaced the Junta Grande in the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata...

, who determined that "the national cockade of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata shall be of colours white and light blue [...]".

The National Cockade Day is on May 18, the date on which it is assumed that the cockade was first used by the ladies of Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

 during the events of the 1810 May Revolution

May Revolution

The May Revolution was a week-long series of events that took place from May 18 to 25, 1810, in Buenos Aires, capital of the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, a Spanish colony that included roughly the territories of present-day Argentina, Bolivia, Paraguay and Uruguay...

.

Origin

The origin of the colours of the cockade and the reasons for their election cannot be accurately established. Among the several versions, one states that the colours white and light blue where first adopted during the British invasions of the Río de la Plata

British invasions of the Río de la Plata

The British invasions of the Río de la Plata were a series of unsuccessful British attempts to seize control of the Spanish colonies located around the La Plata Basin in South America . The invasions took place between 1806 and 1807, as part of the Napoleonic Wars, when Spain was an ally of...

 in 1806 and 1807 by the Regiment of Patricians, the first urban militia regiment of the Río de la Plata

Río de la Plata

The Río de la Plata —sometimes rendered River Plate in British English and the Commonwealth, and occasionally rendered [La] Plata River in other English-speaking countries—is the river and estuary formed by the confluence of the Uruguay River and the Paraná River on the border between Argentina and...

. Supposedly a group of ladies from Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires

Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...

 first wore the cockade on May 19, 1810, in a visit to then-Colonel Cornelio Saavedra

Cornelio Saavedra

Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata...

, head of the regiment.

Between May 22 and 25 of the same year, it is known that the chisperos, or patriots, identified adherents to the May Revolution by giving them ribbons with those colours. An anonymous manuscript quoted by historian Marfany expresses that on May 21, a Monday, revolutionaries presented themselves as such with white ribbons on their clothes and hats. In Juan Manuel Beruti's memoirs, Memorias Curiosas, it is commented on the use of white ribbons on clothes and cockades with olive branches on hats.

It was also documented by Spanish

Spain

Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...

 functionary Faustino Ansay that when news of the revolution arrived to Mendoza

Mendoza, Argentina

Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...

, its supporters started to wear white stripes. A report attributed to Ramón Manuel de Pazos says that on May 21, 1810, Domingo French

Domingo French

Domingo French was an Argentine revolutionary who took part in the May Revolution and the Argentine War of Independence.- Biography :...

 and Antonio Beruti

Antonio Beruti

Antonio Luis Beruti was an Argentine revolutionary who participated in the May Revolution that started the Argentine War of Independence, and later fought in the Argentine civil wars....

 distributed said stripes as a sign of peace and unity between patriots and supporters of the Spanish government, but given the hostility of the latter, on May 25 they began spreading red stripes as a reference to the Jacobin

Jacobin

Jacobin may refer to:* Jacobin , a member of the Jacobin club, or political radical, generally* The Jacobin Club, a political club during the French Revolution* Jacobin , an American leftist political magazine....

s. Both colours were later adopted by the members of the cabildo

Cabildo (council)

For a discussion of the contemporary Spanish and Latin American cabildo, see Ayuntamiento.A cabildo or ayuntamiento was a former Spanish, colonial administrative council that governed a municipality. Cabildos were sometimes appointed, sometimes elected, but were considered to be representative of...

 of Tarija

Tarija, Bolivia

Tarija or San Bernardo de la Frontera de Tarixa is a city in southern Bolivia. Founded in 1574, Tarija is both the capital and largest city within the Tarija Department, with an airport offering regular service to primary Bolivian cities, as well as a regional bus terminal with domestic and...

 as they joined the revolution.

A version by Bartolomé Mitre

Bartolomé Mitre

Bartolomé Mitre Martínez was an Argentine statesman, military figure, and author. He was the President of Argentina from 1862 to 1868.-Life and times:...

 affirmed that French "entered in one of the shops of the recova and took several tracks of white and light blue stripes. [He] also placed pickets

Picket (military)

In military terminology, a picket refers to soldiers or troops placed on a line forward of a position to warn against an enemy advance. It can also refer to any unit performing a similar function...

 with orders of letting only patriots in and make them put on the distinctive [stripes]", although his statement might be biased due to the fact that blue was one of the colours of the party he was a member of, and which would be later known as the Unitarian Party

Unitarian Party

Unitarianists or Unitarians were the proponents of the concept of a Unitary state in Buenos Aires during the civil wars which shortly followed the Declaration of Independence of Argentina in 1816. They were opposed to the Argentine Federalists, who wanted a federation of independent provinces...

. Mitre's words are perhaps what originated the erroneous belief that attributes the creation of the Argentine cockade to French and Beruti. In any case, it is known that in March 1811 the Patriotic Society created by people from Mariano Moreno

Mariano Moreno

Mariano Moreno was an Argentine lawyer, journalist, and politician. He played a decisive role in the Primera Junta, the first national government of Argentina, created after the May Revolution....

's circle wore the white and light blue ribbons.

Relation with the Argentine flag

In a note dated February 13, 1812, Manuel Belgrano

Manuel Belgrano

Manuel José Joaquín del Corazón de Jesús Belgrano , usually referred to as Manuel Belgrano, was an Argentine economist, lawyer, politician, and military leader. He took part in the Argentine Wars of Independence and created the Flag of Argentina...

 solicited the triumvirate

First Triumvirate (Argentina)

The First Triumvirate was the executive body of government that replaced the Junta Grande in the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata...

 the use of the white and light blue national cockade, having to omit red since the Spanish troops

Spanish Empire

The Spanish Empire comprised territories and colonies administered directly by Spain in Europe, in America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. It originated during the Age of Exploration and was therefore one of the first global empires. At the time of Habsburgs, Spain reached the peak of its world power....

 and the royalists had been using it as a distinctive colour against the revolution. A legend says Belgrano was inspired by the sky and the clouds when choosing such colours, but he took them from the ribbons and cockades that were already being used.

On February 18, 1812, the government decided to create the National Cockade of the United Provinces of the Río de la Plata with light blue at its outer border and centre, and white between both.

Belgrano then used the same colours to design the national flag

Flag of Argentina

The national flag of Argentina is a triband, composed of three equally wide horizontal bands coloured light blue, white and light blue. There are multiple interpretations on the reasons for those colors...

, to which his men first took oath on February 27. That day the triumvirate ordered Belgrano to take charge of the Northern Army (Ejército del Norte) and as a result of his immediate departure, he did not become aware that the government had rejected the new flag.