El federalismo en la historiografía política colombiana (1853-1886).

Between 1853 and 1885, the governing principle of federalism was practically unquestioned by Colombian elites. Despite the abundant historiography on the period, what federalism meant to different actors, and the politics of its institutionalization, have not been systematically addressed. This article reviews this historiography searching for clues with which to answer these questions. It first describes the gap in the historiography regarding the problem. Then it examines the topic from the perspective of the literature on state formation. Third, it examines the most current explanations regarding the adoption of federalism. The article ends with a discussion of where we stand on the question and offers some perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]