The Spanish Conquest of Chile: From Almagro to the Disaster of Curalaba
Diego de Almagro: In the year 1536, he was in Chile, reaching the Itata River and then returning to the Aconcagua River. On his return, he clashed with the Indians in the Battle of Reynogüelén.
Almagro set out from Aconcagua and began to search for gold in the Marga-Marga region.
* Land Grant: The grant consisted of a land title to all members participating in the army of conquest.
PEDRO DE VALDIVIA
Valdivia sought help from the Viceroy to ease the conflict (1547). Through the Royal Decree, King Charles V gave him the title of Governor of Chile (1548).
Almagro’s Round Trip Path: Cuzco, Titicaca, Paru, Chicoana, crossing San Francisco, Copiapo, Itata River, Aconcagua, Marga-Marga, desert, Cuzco.
Why Valdivia Came to Chile: For a while, there was a desire in his blood to awaken his ancestors’ triumphs and glory; it was quiet.
Reasons for Founding Santiago: Rivers, fertile land, firewood, strategic military position (hill), adequate agricultural and indigenous population.
Forts and Cities Founded by Valdivia: Fort Tucapel, Santiago, Concepción, Nueva Imperial, Valdivia, and La Serena.
Santiago Destroyed in 1547 by: The Picunches.
Strategy Used to Defend Santiago: Beheaded seven chiefs and displayed their heads. They were always on horseback and ready.
Santiago City Plan (Damero): Straight streets, solar signals, and a central square.
King Charles V gave the governorship of Extremadura to Pedro de Valdivia.
Cities Founded in the North of the Country: La Serena, founded by Juan Bohón.
THE CONQUEST PART II (1553-1598)
1553 Tucapel -> Death of Valdivia – Lautaro.
Governors of Chile: Francisco de Aguirre (La Serena), Francisco de Villagra (Concepción), Rodrigo de Quiroga (Interim).
Villagra assumed the interim government of Chile. His work included the founding of the cities of Osorno and Cañete in 1558. He also established a labor regime for the natives, which consisted of 1/5 of the Indians working in the mines and 1/6 on the land. Children, women, and chiefs were excluded, only people over 18 and under 60 years old. The system was called the “Tasa de Santillana” after its creator, the lawyer E. Santillana.
The Mita system established work shifts.
In the province of Cuyo, he founded the city called Mendoza, after himself.
In 1561, Mendoza left the governorship, and Francisco de Villagra assumed it again from 1561 to 1563. Villagra reformed the Tasa de Santillana and canceled the encomienda of Indians.
Pedro de Villagra then governed from 1563 to 1565. Among his major works: he created the Army neighborhood, regularized the encomienda system, and began to depopulate the forts to maintain a quota.
Rodrigo de Quiroga governed from 1565 to 1567. He sent an expedition to the island of Chiloé to colonize and conquer it (1567), led by Captain Martín Ruiz de Gamboa, who founded the city of Castro.
He then governed again for a few months in 1567 and then from 1575.
Rodrigo de Quiroga governed again from 1575 to 1580. During this period, he faced attacks by privateers and pirates. The best known is Francis Drake, who sacked Valparaiso. They were primarily British and Dutch.
Martín Ruiz de Gamboa (1580-1583): Established the Tasa de Gamboa, which required Indians to give 1/10 of the gold they found to the Spanish colony. In 1580, the city of Chillán was founded. He began a pacification campaign between the Biobío and Maule rivers and ordered the Strait of Magellan to be populated under Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa. The army perished, and only a few survivors were rescued by a pirate who founded Puerto Hambre (Port Famine).
Alonso de Sotomayor (1583-1595): Abolished the Tasa de Gamboa and returned to the Tasa de Santillana. He created a fort in each city.
Martín García Óñez de Loyola (1595-1598): Released the natives who were in rebellion against Spanish colonial rule, thinking that it would pacify them. However, the natives united and caused the Disaster of Curalaba in 1598. The natives began to destroy the cities south of the Biobío River, leading to a new phase of the conquest (1600).
Conquest
Population of Spain -> Founding of cities -> Checkerboard city plan
The commoners lived on the outskirts (villa), while the nobles and similar people lived in the center.
Among their entertainments were medieval tournaments and bullfights.
ECONOMY: The 16th century became known as the “Golden Century” due to the abundance of gold found in places like Quilacoya, Marga-Marga, Villarrica, Valdivia, Imperial, and Osorno.
Barter was used to exchange gold for merchandise. Weapons, textiles, clothing materials, horses, cows, and farm animals were exchanged with Spain. Also, things like olives and grapes were imported.
Chilean craftsmen were engaged in making furniture, utensils, and cutlery.
The Indians mostly worked in mining, where they were exploited. Diseases like tuberculosis and syphilis were brought by the Spaniards, leading to a mixing of races (Zambo, Mulatto, Mestizo).
Council of the Indies:
* Patronage: The king’s authority over the Catholic Church, where he appointed religious authorities and authorized religious congregations to come to America.
The Spanish monarchy was absolutist in this era (the 3 powers in one person: judicial, legislative, executive).
* House of Trade: Controlled trade in America.
IN AMERICA:
* Viceroy
* Governor: Administration, policy, justice, military, and patronage.
* Captain General: High-level military authority. The Captain General stood in for the Governor when he was absent. The Captaincy General had subdivisions.
* Corregidor: Provincial administrator.
* Intendencia: Established in 1786 in Chile, based in Santiago.
* Royal Audience: Court of law that controlled the governor and the church and supervised the treatment of Indians. It was composed of 4 judges, 1 prosecutor, and 1 president (the governor).
* Concepción: Founded in 1565 (by Pedro de Valdivia).
* Santiago: Founded in 1541 (by Pedro de Valdivia).
THE CABILDO: A traditional, multi-member institutional body from the Middle Ages aimed at administration and the common good. Functions: To represent the community, ensure cleanliness, administer civil and criminal justice, manage the city’s food supply, control water resources, and ensure the well-being of the primary institution.
Composition: 2 mayors, 6 aldermen, 7 officials, and accredited neighbors.
Officials: Attorney, sheriff, Alferez Real, faithful executor, steward, clerk, and mason.
Similarities and Differences Between Cabildo and Municipality
Cabildo: Custodial functions with a shared character.
Municipality: Custodial function, a shared function.
Cabildo: Undemocratic elections (exclusive members only).
Municipality: Direct elections.
Open Cabildo: All accredited neighbors could participate.
Closed Cabildo: Only officials and some invited neighbors could participate.
The councilors were elected through a proportional system.
COLONIAL SOCIETY
social and racial
-upper class: the people composed of the aristocracy, was divided into 2: Peninsular (all Spanish who were born in Europe and lived in america), Creole (all Spanish born in America)
the main office were appointed to the peninsular and charges low and middle-to Creoles.
in the XVI-XVII century upper class composed of Spanish and entrusted mmilitares
in the seventeenth century Creole terratemientes (agriculture)