This article has been undertaken as the first in a projected multipart series that will treat classical liberalism in Argentina from 1816 to 2024. The present article studies the classical liberal influence in early Argentine history, from its first thinkers after independence in 1816 to the 1853 constitution and its aftermath. The paper focuses on the channels by which classical liberal thinking animated and influenced Argentine intellectuals and leaders. The foremost protagonist in the story is Juan Bautista Alberdi (1810–1884). As indicated in the title of the present article, we have used Alberdi’s death year to close the period covered in this Part I on classical liberalism in Argentina.