Passion or Profession: President

Period: 1811–1888

An educator and politician, Sarmiento was an outspoken critic of dictator Juan Manuel de Rosas. After Rosas exiled him to Chile in 1840, Sarmiento wrote his classic condemnation of the Rosas government: Life in the Argentine Republic in the Days of the Tyrants; or, Civilization and Barbarism (Civilización y barbarie: vida de Juan Facundo Quiroga, y aspecto físico, costumbres, y hábitos de la República Argentina, 1945). He returned to Argentina in 1852 and was elected president in 1868. In his six years in office, Sarmiento focused on social issues, including the building of schools and libraries.