The Intellectual Infrastructure of Modernization in El Salvador, 1870-1900
The pursuit of economic and political progress engaged many of the Salvadoran elite during the last decades of the nineteenth century. The intellectuals were no less energetic in the chase. Travelers to El Salvador at the turn of the century commented favorably on the progress they perceived. Marie Robinson Wright, who visited the country in 1893, wrote euphorically of “modern improvement,” “progress,” and “development.” “Salvador flourishes,” she rhapsodized, “a glorious example of good discipline and government.” Percy F. Martin wrote in 1911 a long, sober account of his visit. He concluded, “The present condition of her civilization, of her arts and her commerce is eminently encouraging.” He also characterized the Salvadorans as “the most developed and most intellectual” of the Central Americans. These assessments inferred that the progress El Salvador demonstrated drew on North Atlantic models, and to the degree the Salvadorans adopted those models they were judged favorably by foreigners.