Origins of the Chilean people from the 500 to 1750 AD
The earliest inhabitants of Chile were the Mapuche people who inhabited the central Valley and southern Chile. Intestinally the Incas tried to conquer the territory. The mapuche people formed tribes and clans and were hunter and gatherers. The northern part of Chile was inhabited by a clan called Picunches and they were located in the region of the Maule River. There were many other different clans and tribes in surrounding areas. According to the book “The history of Chile” by John L. Rector the author says that at the “Beginning of 1470 the Inca began to annex all of the communities of Chile’s northern valleys. The central valley clans fell to them as well, but south of the Maule River, the Inca encountered fierce resistance. The dense forest combined with Mapuche unity and mobility prevented the Incas from subjugating them. The Mapuche did develop a trade relationship with the Incas, exchanging gold and raw materials for Inca crafts. They also learned Inca artisan skills, especially weaving.” The Spanish began to explore South America in the sixteenth century. The Spanish came to Chile from the north and south. From the south came the explorer Ferdinand Magellan who to this day has a strait named after him. According to the author Magellan “began his exploration of south America by surveying the Brazilian and Argentine coasts, then in November 1520 he headed into treacherous winds and currents at the southern end of the continent. He was the first European to see the terra del fuego and the Andean ice flows plunging into the pacific…To his credit, Magellan solved the riddle of the distance between the Americas and asia”. There was a second exploration that was conducted in Chile according to the book the second exploration “Was led by Diego De Almargo. He began his career by helping Francisco Pizarro conquering the Incas. When he heard of the Incas vast empire, including their Chilean possessions, he decided to explore and conquer them”. The Spanish would eventually send the Roman Catholic Church and would send missionaries to convert the locals. Diseases would also be a factor in killing most of the natives. Know we jump to the 1800’s. In the early 1800’s independence was on everyone’s mind. In 1807 Napoleon Bonaparte convinced the Spanish king to abdicate his throne to his brother which happened. The Governor of Chile passed away and there were some disputes as to who would be the interim governor. This situation was settled. Independence from Spain was achieved sort of on the date September 18th 1810 there was a conference called and votes were cast to create the first national government. To avoid confrontation the Chileans created a junta and proclaimed there loyalty to Ferdinand the VII.