If you read my blog at all in September, then you already know that the Chileans spend the entire month celebrating their Independence Day, with it all coming to a head on the 18th and then followed by another national holiday on the 19th. And then they spend the next 3 or 4 days finishing up the celebrations depending on where the holidays fall during the week. In the 3 years we have been here for the holidays, we have had a 5 day weekend each year. I have written all about how they celebrate (here, here, here, here and here) but not too much about why. Perhaps because I just assumed it was pretty much the same as why we celebrate July 4th in the U.S. - it is the day Independence was declared (followed the next day by Army Day). It's true that Chile did break from Spanish rule on September 18, 1810 but their independence wasn't signed and sealed until February 12, 1818, a full 7 1/2 years later. I guess I had a lot to learn...
It all started, as most things like this do, long before either of those dates. And, like in many other wars of Independence, there were a lot of factors that led up to Chile's decision to break from Spanish rule. Chile was one of the smallest and poorest colonies in the Spanish empire, and for may years it was content to just sit back and let their mother country call all of the shots (don't most country's do this at first?) For years they accepted a foreigner governing their land, (always a Spaniard) and for years they were ok with trading their goods only with Spain. And then they realized that their governor was corrupt and that they could make more money by selling their goods illegally to the U.S. or the U.K. They were already starting to think about freedom. And then, it got really interesting. The string of events that began in May of 1808, happened in just the right order and at the right time for the Chileans to speak up and say that they had had enough.
In May of 1808, Napoleon (yep, that Napoleon) overthrew King Charles IV, and took captive his successor, Ferdinand VII. Napoleon replaced both with his brother, Joseph Bonaparte. The French occupation of Spain caused an uprising in the colonies. Even the most loyal of subjects, those who did not want to break from Spain, did not want to send their taxes to the French. Argentina declared that it would be independent (but not break from rule) until Ferdinand was restored to the throne. Chile was to follow suit just a few years later.
On September 18, 1810 300 of Chile's most influential citizens met to discuss the future of their country. There were those (mostly Spaniards) that wanted to keep the status quo, there were those that wanted a clean break from Spanish rule and there were those that wanted a limited amount of independence while Spain got back on its feet. In the end they opted for limited independence. They pledged their loyalty to Ferdinand, and in the same breath, set up an autonomous government. They created a militia, opened free trade, and instituted taxes on imported goods. By March of the next year, 38 of the 42 government representatives had been elected and Chile was well on its way Independence. And then, in 1813, Peru decided to intervene. The Viceroy, Jose Fernando de Abascal, decided to bring Argentina and Chile back in line and failed miserably. He signed a peace treaty - the Treaty of Lircay. Then reneged and attacked no even a year later. This time, he won. And kept winning. He, and his leader Mariano Osorio, handed defeat after defeat to those seeking Chilean independence. But his victories were to be short lived. On April 5 , 1818 the Royalists retreated in defeat for the final time after their loss at the Battle of Maipù.
But that wasn't the end of the fight. The battles kept raging in the most southern regions of Chile until 1826 even though their Deceleration of Independence was signed and accepted February 12, 1818, some 8 years before.
Chile's path to Independence was bloody. Most are. And it was long. Again, most are. But that first meeting, on September 18, 1810 was an important step. It began the process of Chile's break from Spain. Today, September 18 or Dieciocho as it is known, is celebrated as Independence Day or Month. It is a full month of parties (they literally call it Fiestas Patrias - National Parties) and all over Chile people celebrate with food, dancing, parades and reenactments. They take their celebrations seriously!
So if you are ever looking for a time to vacation in Chile, September is a great month. Though most of the time you won't find a lot of Chilean's here - they are on vacations since we always seems to have a 5 or 6 day holiday...
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