| Chilean Independence |
Article Index for Chilean |
Shopping Chilean |
Website Links For Chilean |
Information AboutChilean Independence |
|
ANTECEDENTS OF THE CHILEAN INDEPENDENCE MOVEMENT In the year 1808 , the Spanish Empire was in a state of agitation and turmoil. That year the news of the Napoleanic invasion of Spain, and the overthrow of Ferdinand VII reached Chile. At the same time, García Carrasco assumed the post of Governor Of Chile . Carrasco was a man of crude and authoritarian manners, which alienated the Criollo elites. Already in Chile there had been independence agitation, but it seems that Carrasco magnified the problem. He took taking arbitrary and harsh measures, such as the arrest and extradition to Lima of well-known citizens. Additionally, he was implicated in a flagrant case of smuggling. Because of such insults, the pressure for his overthrow began to build. In 1810 this finally came to a head. The most senior soldier at that time was Mateo De Toro Y Zambrano , and through the control of the troops he had an important say in the political situation. The autonomy movement had by this time thoroughly propagated through the criollo elite, and it proposed the replacement of the Spanish government with a ''junta'' of notable citizens. After vacillating for some time, Toro y Zambrano agreed to hold an open public meeting on the issue in Santiago . The date was set for September 18, 1810. THE PATRIA VIEJA At the September 18 session, the juntistas grabbed the center stage with shouts of "''¡Junta queremos! ¡Junta queremos!''" ("We want the Junta! We want the Junta"). The ancient Toro y Zambrano (83 years old at the time) acceded to their demands, handing them the ceremonial baton and saying "Here is the baton, take it and rule." Thus began the Patria Vieja. Immediately political intrigue began amongst the ruling elite, with news of the political turbulence and wars of European all the while coming in. It was eventually decided that elections for a National Congress were planned for 1811 . (Today the Museum of Santiago)]] Close to the expected day, the monarchist Tomás De Figueroa --considering the notion of elections to be too populist--lead a revolt, aided by the Real Audiencia in Santiago. The revolt sputtered, and Figueroa was arrested and summarily executed. In addition, the revolt was used as a pretext for dissolving the Real Audiencia--a longstanding pillar of Spanish crown control--and full independence gained momentum. The revolt was successful in that it temporarily sabotaged the elections, which had to be delayed until November of the same year. Eventually, however, the Congress was duly elected. Moderates advocating only greater autonomy of the elites from Spanish Imperial control--without a complete rupture--gained the majority of seats, while a minority were held by revolutionaries who wanted complete and instant indepedence from Spain. During this time a well connected young man named José Miguel Carrera arrived in Chile. Quickly he was involved with the intrigues of various extremists who plotted to gain power through armed means. After two coups, both in the end of 1811, the ambicious Carrera managed to take power, inaguarating the dictatorship. During this period, the Constitution of 1812 was promulgated with a marked liberal character. An example of this is the stipulation that "no order that eminates from outside the territory of Chile will have any effect, and anyone who tries to enforce such an order will be treated as a traitor." Carrera also created patriotic emblems for the ''Patria Viega'' such as the flag, shield, and insignia. Also during his government, the first Chilean newspaper, the '' Aurora De Chile '' was published. Directed by Friar Camilo Henríquez , it supported the independence movement. Additionally, Carrera was responsable for bringing the first American consel to Chile. This was important, as it established a direct link between the liberalism and Federalism of the United States with the principles of the Chilean independence movement. Finally, the founding of the Instituto Nacional De Chile and National Library Of Chile is attributed to Carrera. Both the these prestigous institutions have survived to the present day. The triumph of the the rebel diquieted the Viceroy Of Peru , José Fernando De Abascal Y Sousa . As a result, he sent a military expedition under the command of Antonio Pareja to deal with the situation. The force landed in Concepción , where the troops were received with applause. They began the Royalist march towards Santiago. However, this effort failed, as did a subsequent assault lead by Gabino Gaínza . However, this not due to the military performance of Carrera, and his imcompetence lead to the rise of the moderate Bernardo O'Higgins , who eventually took supreme control of the Independence forces. Harrassed on all sides, Carrera resigned, in what is commenly taken to mark the beginning of the period of the ''Reconquista''. This turning point was confirmed militarily by a third force sent by Abascal. This decisive expedition took place in 1814 and was commanded by Mariano Osorio . O'Higgins wanted to defend the city of Rancagua , while Carrera wanted to make the stand at the pass of Angostura, a more felicitous defensive position but also closer to Santiago. Because of the disagreements and resulting lack of coordination, the independence forces were divided, and O'Higgins was obliged to meet the Royalists at Rancagua without reinforcements. The resulting battle, the Disaster Of Rancagua , on October 1 and 2 of 1814, was heroically fought, but ended in stunning defeat. A little whil later, Osorio entered Santiago and put the ''Patria Vieja'' to an end. RECONQUISTA PATRIA NUEVA SEE ALSO |