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Chilean territory was among the last to be populated in the Americas.
Prehispanic Chile was home to over a dozen different indigenous peoples. Despite such diversity, it is possible to classify them into three major cultural groups: The northern peoples, who developed rich handicrafts and were influenced by pre-Incan cultures; the Mapuche culture, who inhabited the area between the river Choapa and the island of Chiloé, and lived primarily off of agriculture; and the Patagonian culture, composed of various nomadic tribes, who supported themselves through fishing and hunting.
As the Incan Empire expanded, it was only able to integrate the northern part of Chile. Incan attempts to colonize Central Chile were unsuccessful, having met fierce resistance by Mapuche warriors. The Lircay river subsequently became the boundary between the Incan empire and the Mapuche lands.
The first European to sight Chilean territory was Ferdinand Magellan who crossed the Strait of Magellan on November 1 1521. However, the title of discoverer of Chile is usually assigned to Diego de Almagro. De Almagro was Francisco Pizarro's partner, and he received command of the southern part of the Incan Empire (Nueva Toledo). He organized an expedition that brought him to central Chile in 1537, but he found little of value to compare with the gold and silver of the Inca. Left with the impression that the inhabitants of the area were poor, he returned to Peru, later to die in a Civil war.
After this initial excursion there was little interest from colonial authorities in further exploring modern-day Chile. However, Pedro de Valdivia, captain of the army, realizing the potential for expanding the Spanish empire southward, asked Pizarro permission to invade and conquer the southern lands. With a couple of hundred men, he subdued the local inhabitants and founded the city of Santiago de Nueva Extremadura, now Santiago in 1542.
Although de Valdivia found little gold in Chile, he could see the agricultural richness of the land. He continued his explorations of the region west of the Andes and founded over a dozen towns. The greatest resistance to Spanish rule came from the Mapuche culture, who repeatedly burned many of the first settlements.
Valdivia died in the battle of Tucapel , but the Chilean conquest was well underway. His successors would establish the Bio Bio river as frontier between Mapuche and the Spanish colony. The cities grew up and Chilean lands became an important source of food to the Viceroyalty of Peru.
The drive for independence from SpainThe Kingdom of Spain is a country located in the southwest of Europe. It shares the Iberian Peninsula with Portugal, Gibraltar and Andorra. To the northeast, along the Pyrenees mountain range, it borders France and the tiny principality of Andorra. It inc was precipitated by usurpation of the Spanish throne by Napoleon's brother Joseph BonaparteJoseph Bonaparte ( January 7, 1768— July 28, 1844) was the eldest brother of the French Emperor Napoleon I, who made him King of Naples ( 1806 1808) and Spain ( 1808 1813). Bonaparte was born Giuseppe Bonaparte at Corte in Corsica. As a lawyer, politician. A national junta in the name of Ferdinand--heir to the deposed king--was formed on September 18September 18 is the 261st day of the year (262nd in leap years). There are 104 days remaining. Events 96 Nerva elevated as Roman Emperor after Domitian was stabbed to death. 323 Constantine the Great decisively defeats Licinius in the Battle of Chrysopoli, 1810Events January 10 Marriage of Napoleon and Josephine is annulled January 20 Tyrolean rebel leader Andreas Hofer executed March 11 Napoleon marries Marie-Louise of Austria April 19 Venezuela achieves home rule: Emparan, Governor of the Captaincy General is. Spanish attempts to reimpose arbitrary rule during what was called the Reconquista led to a prolonged struggle under Bernardo O'HigginsBernardo O'Higgins ( 20 August, 1778 October, 1842), South American revolutionary leader and first Chilean head of state supreme director 1817 23), who commanded the military forces that won independence from Spain. O'Higgins was born in Chillan, Chile., Chile's most renowned patriot and a member of South America's Irish diasporaEthnic groups The Irish diaspora consists of Irish emigrants and their descendants in countries such as the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Quebec and Australia. By one estimate, the diaspora contains as many as 60 million people. There are also lar. Other revolutionary leaders included the exiled British admiral Thomas Cochrane, 10th Earl of Dundonald, who commanded the Chilean Navy from 1817-1822.
Chilean independence was formally proclaimed on February 12, 1818.
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