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The History of Chile
(Reads: 152, 08-Mar-2010)During the period from 3800 AD to 1492 BC the American continent was populated by nomadic tribes and hunter gatherers. Some of these groups worked in agriculture and amongst these societies there were varying degrees of organisation and development. The great civilisations that made it to Chile were The Aztecs, The Mayas and The Incas, each forming states in their own right.
In the north of the country there were settlements of Aymaras, Atacameños and Diaguitas. In the coastal areas of northern and central Chile lived the Changos who were principally fishermen. In the interior of the country in the south there were settlements of Picunches, Mapuches y Huiliches who farmed and raised cattle.
The central and southern areas of the Chilean Andes were inhabited by a number of nomadic tribes who were hunter gatherers, for example, the Chiquillanes, the Pehuenches, the Puelches, the Poyas and the Onas. In the area around Los Canales lived the Cuncos, the Chonos, the Alacalufes and the Yaganes who were skilled in navigators, sailors and fishermen.
Around the year 1500 the Incas dominated the Chilean territory up to the River Maule (they had moved away shortly before the Spaniards arrived).
On the 12 of October 1492 Christopher Columbus arrived in America and over the next 500 years the Spanish conquerors took hold of the continent. The conquest of Chile, which was one of the hardest and longest in the continent, started in 1536.
On the 12th of February 1541 Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago and set about conquering the Chilean territory. The basis upon which Chilean society, culture and economy would be formed was established during this period of Spanish occupation. As a result of the crisis caused by the colonial regime a meeting to form a government was held (la Primera Junta de Gobierno) on the 18th of September 1810 marking the start of Chile's liberation. (This same year saw the publication of Chile's first newspaper "La Aurora de Chile").
This move for independence was strengthened en 1818 when General Bernardo O' Higgins took charge anouncing the Declaration of Independence. He was later forced to step down in 1823. After trying out various constitutional systems the country opted to become a republic. In 1833 the new constitution was decreed; the principal characteristic being a certain degree of autonomy between the Executive and Legislative powers with the former being pre-eminent. Under the new constitution there was a period of strong governance which lasted until 1891 and brought Chile great prosperity.
In 1865, as a result of Spain ordering an attack on Peru, Chile declared war on Spain. The port city of Valparaiso was bombed by the Spanish forces.
Due to the controversy surrounding the reserves of saltpetre in the north of Chile Aníbal Pinto's government had to continue the War of the Pacific against Peru and Bolivia resulting in Chile gaining new territory containing a vast wealth of saltpetre and copper.
Towards the end of the 19th Century there was a revolution in Chile, the basis of which was whether a parliamentary or presidential system was best to organise the country. This revolution was fought between the Congress and the Executive - the former being the victor - and tragically resulted in the suicide of the then president, José Manuel Balmaceda, in 1891. This revolution brought about a new period in Chilean history which was characterised by the weakening of the Executive and the strengthening of parliamentarianism. The objective of the latter being more power in the hands of the people - allowing the electorate greater public freedom.
The end of the First World Was brought about Chile's first major economic crisis caused by Europe starting to produce saltpetre synthetically, this caused a dramatic drop in sales of Chile's, then, main source of income. The Great Depression of 1929 caused a decline in many profitable activities, shaking the Chilean economy and as a knock-on effect, provoking a period of considerable national anarchy. After a 3 year period of national anarchy Arturo Alessandri was able to establish political peace. Since then Chile has, by in large, experienced social, economic and political stability.
In the elections of 1970 Salvador Allende, a socialist candidate, was elected as President of the Republic representing the left-wing coalition known as the "Unidad Popular". Under his government, copper, national banks and other companies were nationalised leading to vast political reform. On the 11th of September 1973 a military coup, lead by Army General Augusto Pinochet, ended Allende's government bringing about a 17 year break in the century old democratic tradition.
The 11th of March 1990 saw President Aylwin take power and re-establish democracy. His economic model had incorporated in it a strong social emphasis, namely growth with equality. In the presidential elections of 1993 Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle was elected, he like Aylwin, was a member of the "Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia" (Pact for Democracy). He took power on the 11th of March 1994.
In the north of the country there were settlements of Aymaras, Atacameños and Diaguitas. In the coastal areas of northern and central Chile lived the Changos who were principally fishermen. In the interior of the country in the south there were settlements of Picunches, Mapuches y Huiliches who farmed and raised cattle.
The central and southern areas of the Chilean Andes were inhabited by a number of nomadic tribes who were hunter gatherers, for example, the Chiquillanes, the Pehuenches, the Puelches, the Poyas and the Onas. In the area around Los Canales lived the Cuncos, the Chonos, the Alacalufes and the Yaganes who were skilled in navigators, sailors and fishermen.
Around the year 1500 the Incas dominated the Chilean territory up to the River Maule (they had moved away shortly before the Spaniards arrived).
On the 12 of October 1492 Christopher Columbus arrived in America and over the next 500 years the Spanish conquerors took hold of the continent. The conquest of Chile, which was one of the hardest and longest in the continent, started in 1536.
On the 12th of February 1541 Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago and set about conquering the Chilean territory. The basis upon which Chilean society, culture and economy would be formed was established during this period of Spanish occupation. As a result of the crisis caused by the colonial regime a meeting to form a government was held (la Primera Junta de Gobierno) on the 18th of September 1810 marking the start of Chile's liberation. (This same year saw the publication of Chile's first newspaper "La Aurora de Chile").
This move for independence was strengthened en 1818 when General Bernardo O' Higgins took charge anouncing the Declaration of Independence. He was later forced to step down in 1823. After trying out various constitutional systems the country opted to become a republic. In 1833 the new constitution was decreed; the principal characteristic being a certain degree of autonomy between the Executive and Legislative powers with the former being pre-eminent. Under the new constitution there was a period of strong governance which lasted until 1891 and brought Chile great prosperity.
In 1865, as a result of Spain ordering an attack on Peru, Chile declared war on Spain. The port city of Valparaiso was bombed by the Spanish forces.
Due to the controversy surrounding the reserves of saltpetre in the north of Chile Aníbal Pinto's government had to continue the War of the Pacific against Peru and Bolivia resulting in Chile gaining new territory containing a vast wealth of saltpetre and copper.
Towards the end of the 19th Century there was a revolution in Chile, the basis of which was whether a parliamentary or presidential system was best to organise the country. This revolution was fought between the Congress and the Executive - the former being the victor - and tragically resulted in the suicide of the then president, José Manuel Balmaceda, in 1891. This revolution brought about a new period in Chilean history which was characterised by the weakening of the Executive and the strengthening of parliamentarianism. The objective of the latter being more power in the hands of the people - allowing the electorate greater public freedom.
The end of the First World Was brought about Chile's first major economic crisis caused by Europe starting to produce saltpetre synthetically, this caused a dramatic drop in sales of Chile's, then, main source of income. The Great Depression of 1929 caused a decline in many profitable activities, shaking the Chilean economy and as a knock-on effect, provoking a period of considerable national anarchy. After a 3 year period of national anarchy Arturo Alessandri was able to establish political peace. Since then Chile has, by in large, experienced social, economic and political stability.
In the elections of 1970 Salvador Allende, a socialist candidate, was elected as President of the Republic representing the left-wing coalition known as the "Unidad Popular". Under his government, copper, national banks and other companies were nationalised leading to vast political reform. On the 11th of September 1973 a military coup, lead by Army General Augusto Pinochet, ended Allende's government bringing about a 17 year break in the century old democratic tradition.
The 11th of March 1990 saw President Aylwin take power and re-establish democracy. His economic model had incorporated in it a strong social emphasis, namely growth with equality. In the presidential elections of 1993 Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle was elected, he like Aylwin, was a member of the "Concertación de Partidos por la Democracia" (Pact for Democracy). He took power on the 11th of March 1994.
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The "Patria Nueva"
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Pablo Neruda, Chile's Nobel Prize Winner
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