The Chilean War of Independence is an important milestone in the country’s history. Of course, there was a larger Spanish American independence movement going on at the time. Some inhabitants in Chile were independentists and others were called royalists. A civil war between these two groups finally resulted. The pro-independence people wanted to have independence from Spain that was political as well as economic.
In 1810, a national junta was finally established. The goal of this junta was to govern Chile. In 1821, the Spanish were forced to leave Chile. The first new government that was set up in the region was the Patria Vieja or old republic. An aristocrat named Jose Miguel Carrera led this government.
The Spanish tried to regain rule of the region shortly thereafter. The Reconquista or Reconquest period was when Spanish loyalists punished people who were considered to be rebels. At this point, the elite in Chile more and more convinced that independence was necessary. Manuel Rodriguez became famous as he led a guerilla movement against the Spaniards. Rodriguez is today considered to be one of the people who founded independent Chile.
1818 is considered to be a significant year, as Chile formally won its independence. Jose de San Martin defeated a large group of Spanish solders at the Battle of Maipu. His army then went north to work on liberating Peru. In February 1818, there was a formal declaration of independence that was issued by Chile. Spain finally recognized the region as independent in 1840 and the countries agreed on a diplomatic relationship.
It is easy to study Spanish in Chile and not fully appreciate the complex history of the country. However, if you take some time to learn about the period that lasted from 1540-1810, it will give you a better understanding of the Chile’s struggles to gain the independence that the country enjoys today. After all, that freedom enables students the ability to attend Spanish school in Santiago.
History of Chile Part 1A
History of Chile Part 1B
History of Chile Part 2A