Bartolomé Mitre (1821-1906), Argentine statesman, military leader, and historian, born in Buenos Aires. While he was still young, his political views and writings incurred the enmity of the Argentine dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas. After living in exile in Chile, Bolivia, and Peru, Mitre returned to Argentina in 1852 and participated in the overthrow of Rosas by General Justo José Urquiza. In 1853 Mitre was appointed minister of war in the Buenos Aires provincial government and in this post attempted to resist Urquiza's plan for the province to join the newly proclaimed Argentine Republic. In 1859 the troops under Mitre's command were defeated by Urquiza, and Buenos Aires joined the federation. Mitre was made governor of Buenos Aires Province in 1860 and defeated Urquiza at the Battle of Pavon in 1861. The next year he was elected to a 6-year term as president of the republic. He was defeated for the presidency in 1874 and again in 1891. Mitre founded the influential newspaper La Nación (The Nation) in 1870. His works include histories of South America and Argentina.