Crossing:

The 2017 San Martn & Charles Darwin Expedition

In December 2017, a multidisciplinary group of British and Irish historians, writers and scientists
will retrace two of the most important mountain passages in modern history:
The epic 1817 march of Jos de San Martn, and his thousands-strong army of criollo
patriots and black freedmen, over the cordillera from Argentina to Chile, the prelude to a
series of battles that would liberate Chile and all of South America from Spanish rule;

And the 1835 journey of British naturalist Charles Darwin across the Andes part of his
voyage around the world with the Beagle a journey which contributed to his developing
theories on natural history and evolution which would revolutionise modern science.
Purpose of the Expedition
January 2017, the bicentenary of San Martns passage of the Andes, was marked with renactments
and ceremonies in both Argentina and Chile. Most events emphasised the unique strategic genius
of San Martin and his Irish-Chilean counterpart, Bernardo OHiggins.
However, the anniversary passed largely unmarked in the English-speaking world despite the
presence of at least 50 English, Irish and Scottish officers and soldiers in San Martins army, and
the sustained support Britain gave to the patriots during the Wars of Independence.
Traditional historiography also often overlooks how nearly half of San Martns army was made
up of black former slaves and free citizens, including many born in Africa, and the collaboration
of indigenous and mestizo guides and soldiers.
Similarly, amid Darwins famous discoveries in the Galapagos and Patagonia, few have paid
attention to his experiences in central Chile and Argentina, including his crossing of the Cordillera
along a pass used by the Liberators in 1817, and by San Martn himself upon his return in 1823.
As such, the expedition will:
Cross the cordillera (Paso Portillo-Piuquenes) on foot, the same pass used by part of the
liberating army in 1817, San Martin in 1823, and Darwin in 1835

Carry flags representing the different nations and ethnicities involved in the 1817
campaign: Argentinian, Chilean, English, Scottish, Irish, indigenous and African

Reimagine some of the conditions faced by civilian and military travellers in the period,
including rations, clothing, and orienteering, and evaluate Darwins findings

Record its findings through photography, text and video, to be published in Anglophone
media and presented in conference in Chile and the United Kingdom
The Route and Dates
December 4th-8th arrival in Santiago, Chile
9th-10th travel to Mendoza and Manzano Histrico, Argentina
11-17th journey on foot via Paso Portillo de Piuquenes to San Jos de Maipo, Chile
18th-19th visiting Chacabuco and Maip battlefields; available for press and conferences
Expedition Leaders
Laurence Blair is a journalist, writer and historian, whose work has
featured in The Economist, The Financial Times, the Guardian and with
the BBC. His forthcoming book, A New History of South America:
Travels in a Continents Past and Present, will be published by Bodley
Head/Penguin Random House in 2020. The book includes chapters
on Chilean/Argentinian history, drawing on archival research. He
studied Latin American history at the University of Oxford, and
began his career in journalism working for the Santiago Times in Chile.
www.laurenceblair.com
Matthew Shribman is a science educator with millions of views on his
online channel. He has given many talks, including a TED talk. Matthew
read Chemistry at the University of Oxford, finishing his BA with first
class honours. He went on to complete his biophysics thesis on bird
migration in magnetic fields. His research interests include relativistic
physics, sustainability, and evolution. A consultant for numerous start-
up companies, he also writes and records music, with coverage and
airtime provided by the Times, The Guardian and BBC Radio 1 leading
to festival performances, including at Glastonbury 2016.
www.matthewshribman.com

Thomas Stubbs is a biochemist attached to the Babraham Institute

Epigenetics ISP at the University of Cambridge. He studied
biochemistry at the University of Oxford, finishing his degree with first
class honours. His research areas include DNA demethylation, aging,
evolutionary biology and epigenetics, and he has published on
computational methods to evaluate restriction enzyme combinations,
with potential applications to cancer and aging treatment.
https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Thomas_Stubbs

Contact Details: Laurence laurie.a.blair@gmail.com (ENG/ESP) Tw: @LABlair1492