| Resumo: | This article analyzes the role of the family in the Paraguayan War as a paradigmatic case of nineteenth century Latin American wars, albeit one that possesses its own particularities. It shows how, over the course of the war, gender relations were upset and family and household structures were disarticulated. One particularity here was the early involvement of women in the war economy, giving continuity to an already existing tradition of cottage industries and trade. Another aspect unique in contemporary Latin America was the displacement of families from their homes to faraway places and strict control over their economic and political activities. This was accompanied by a practice of shared family responsibility.
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