Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (born February 14, 1811, San Juan, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata [now in Argentina]—died September 11, 1888, Asunción, Paraguay) was an educator, statesman, and writer who rose from a position as a rural schoolmaster to become president of Argentina (1868–74).

In Argentina, positivist ideology was promoted through the Escuela Normal de Paraná, which had been founded by Sarmiento during his presidency (1868-1874). Focused on the need to civilize Argentina, Sarmiento crafted this doctrine concentrating on the education of the individual.

Civilization and barbarism Facundo is not only a critique of Rosas's dictatorship, but a broader investigation into Argentine history and culture, which Sarmiento charts through the rise, controversial rule, and downfall of Juan Facundo Quiroga, an archetypical Argentine caudillo.

A militia commission was forced on him by the local federalist leader, but Sarmiento refused it, was jailed, and emerged committed to the unitarist party. He served in various (and largely un- successful) military capacities against the region's emergent federalist strongman (caudillo), Juan Facundo Quiroga.