Objective:

This article analyzes the political discourse of the Sociedad Unión de Artesanos (1866-1868). It delves into how this association and its members understood and disseminated notions and practices linked to republicanism.

Methodology:

The study draws on a qualitative analysis of the 62 issues of La Alianza, the association's newspaper. Combining approaches from fields such as subaltern politics and associative sociability, the paper aims to contribute to a social history of politicsc.

Originality:

Republicanism among Colombian artisans in the 1860s remains a rather unexplored topic since historiography often considers the period a moment of political inactivity in the history of the artisan movement. The study challenges this assumption by showing that artisans at the time were politically active and attempted, by several means, to position themselves as legitimate actors in the nation's political life.

Conclusions:

The republican discourse of the Unión de Artesanos emerged from its members' moral values, political and economic interests and agendas, and past and present experiences. It partially drew on artisan political discourses from previous decades but also relied on newer, original understandings about the nature and characteristics of republicanism. All in all, the distinguishing feature of the association's language was its emphasis on a genuine subaltern citizenship based on political autonomy and independence from partisan identities and loyalties.