Information about the republic of Chile.

Chile: The Spanish Colony


Chile During the Colony

Since the conquest by Don Pedro de Valdivia (1497-1553), and until september 1810, Chile was a spanish colony. Identified as Gobernación de Chile and posteriorly Capitanía General, extended from Copiapó valley at the north end, and by special demand of Valdivia, to the south, reaching the Hernando de Magallanes strait. But to honour the truth, the effective conquest beyond the Bío-Bío river up to the strait, had to wait more than two hundred years, because of the Mapuche people's determination, who steadily refused any foreign sovereignty over their land.

The governor of Chile depended of the peruvian Viceroy sinse 1589. Established in Lima, was a direct representative of the spanish reign king, over a theoretical territory that started in Panamá and ended in Tierra del Fuego.
The 'Reign of Chile' was governed with enough autonomy, but the Viceroy was in charge of supplying the goods for commercial activities, institutionalise the justice, evangelize all natural inhabitants, assign the military force and also order the expansion campaigns to consolidate the property of the territory.
During 1798, the spanish king Carlos IV ordered the independency of La Capitanía de Chile from the peruvian Viceroy.

Colonial Government

Chile was ruled by a governor and an advisory board called La Real Audiencia.
This board, was also the highest justice tribunal and officiate as governor when this one was missing or his nomination was in process.
The last decades of the 18th century, the omnipresent spanish policies immersed in all civil and commercial spheres, were frecuently failing, thus, gradually generating discontent of people that formed the work power. This situation finally becomes the seed that nourishes the ambition of independancy (from Spain), of those who felt discriminated and subdued.
To be continued.

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