DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST OF CHILE: MAIN MILESTONES - HISTORY - 2024

The discovery and conquest of Chile was a historical period that began in 1520 with the maritime expedition of the Portuguese navigator Hernando (Fernando) de Magallanes to the extreme south of the country. He continued with a new expedition by land and sea commanded by the governor and Spanish advance Diego de Almagro in 1536.

This period ended with the arrival of the Spanish conqueror Pedro de Valdivia to the Mapocho river valley (current city of Santiago) in December 1540. It was a very eventful historical process due to the death of Magellan immediately after the expedition.

Foundation of Santiago by Pedro de Valdivia

Later it was also complicated by the difficulties that Almagro had to cross the Andes Mountains and reach Copiapó, to which was added the strong indigenous resistance that the Spanish conqueror encountered during this exploratory trip. These inconveniences made him give up and return to Cuzco, Peru, the place from where he had started.

The purpose of Almagro's expedition to Chilean territory was to extend the Spanish dominions southward after the conquest of Peru. The Incas spread rumors that to the south there were rich gold mines.

Then, in a second expedition commanded by the Extremaduran conqueror Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia, the objective of the Spanish kingdom of annexing these territories to its possessions in South America was completed.

Discovery of Chile

At the end of the conquest of Peru in 1535, the Spanish expeditionaries continued their way south. The expeditions sought to conquer and colonize new territories in the New World that were abundant in gold and precious metals.

The Spanish conquerors at this time were captivated by the gold rush that sparked the El Dorado legend in the territories of Colombia and Venezuela. Therefore, it is not risky to think that they were also carried away by the Inca rumors that indicated that further south there were abundant deposits of this metal.

Invested as governor of Nueva Toledo, Diego de Almagro left Cuzco (Peru) on July 3, 1535 accompanied by 50 men. After skirting Lake Titicaca and crossing the Desaguadero River, he was joined by another 100 soldiers commanded by Juan de Saavedra.

The 150-man troop led by Diego de Almagro took the route from Tupiza and Chicoana to cross the cold and dangerous Cordillera de los Andes, just through the San Francisco pass, in front of the current Copiapó, where the new territories that would later receive the name of Chile.

Andes pass

During the journey, several hundred indigenous people who accompanied the expedition died of cold and hunger. Almagro then made the decision to go ahead and leave with a part of his troops through the Paipote ravine. At that point he was assisted by the natives, who supplied the expeditionaries with food.

Almagro was then able to send provisions to the troops that had been left behind. Thus he managed to get to Copiapó along with his companions; for this reason he is considered the discoverer of Chile.

But as has been said previously, in 1520 Hernando de Magallanes had already been able to border the territories located in the south of the country by sea.

On his expedition, Magellan discovered the strait that bears his name and continued eastward, which was the purpose of his trip. However, upon reaching the Philippines, he faced a native tribe at the Battle of Mactan, where he died on April 27, 1521.

Hernando de Magallanes.

Almagro's expedition was also accompanied by sea. Before leaving Peru, he took the foresight to send Captain Ruy Díaz with reinforcements and supplies to wait for him near the coast of Coquimbo.

At this point Almagro was already outside the jurisdiction of his government; however, it continued to advance further south.

Clashes with the indigenous

In Huasco and Coquimbo, the Spanish expedition clashed with the Mapuche Indians. Upon reaching the Aconcagua River, it continued to the Maipo Valley. Two of Almagro's captains had gone ahead to explore nearby territories.

The expedition commanded by Juan Saavedra found one of the ships that accompanied Ruy Díaz's fleet on the coast.

It was the ship San Pedro captained by Alonso Quintero, the only one that managed to survive the voyage. The second expedition commanded by Gómez de Alvarado continued advancing to the banks of the Itata River.

Almagro managed to reach Copayapu (Copiapó valley) with 240 Spanish soldiers, some 1500 Yanaconas and 150 blacks. During the arduous journey through the Andean peaks and the desert, 10 Spaniards, several hundred indigenous people and 50 horses died.

Return and death of Almagro

The strong resistance of the natives, the ruggedness of the territory and the evident lack of precious metals in the explored regions, made Almagro give up. Then the conqueror set out on his way back to Peru.

In 1537 Almagro faced his rival Francisco Pizarro, who claimed the city of Cuzco as part of his dominions. In the battle of Abancay fought on June 12, 1537, Almagro took Pizarro's brothers as prisoners: Hernando and Gonzalo.

Almagro and Pizarro negotiated the exile of Pizarro's brothers, but the latter breached the agreement and executed it publicly on July 8, 1538. By that time, Almagro was already ill and his army lost the battle of Salinas to Pizarro.

Conquest of Chile

The conqueror Pedro de Valdivia was not daunted by the poor results of the first expedition to Chile and Almagro's later comments. Francisco Pizarro appointed him governor of Chile in 1539 and immediately authorized his expedition south.

The expedition was joined by the merchant Francisco Martínez, Captain Alonso Monroy and Pedro Sánchez de la Hoz. Valdivia left Cuzco in January 1540, accompanied by a total of 11 Spaniards, including his partner, Inés de Suárez. He was also accompanied by about a thousand indigenous Yanaconas.

Valdivia took the same Almagro route on his first expedition back to Cuzco; that is, the Inca Trail. After skirting the Atacama desert, the expedition reached Copiapó in 1540. Then it continued the journey south, crossing the vast territories of Huasco, Coquimbo, Limarí and Choapa.

After passing the Aconcagua valley, he finally reached the Mapocho river valley in December 1540. The conqueror found this ideal place to build a city on the slopes of the Santa Lucía hill called "Huelén" by the indigenous people.

Then, on February 12, 1541 Pedro de Valdivia founded the city of Santiago de Nueva Extremadura, in honor of the Apostle Santiago, the patron saint of Spain.

The land met the conditions to establish a city, because it was a strategic place to be watched and protected. It had enough watercourse for irrigation and human consumption with a climate similar to Extremadura.

Indigenous uprisings

Indigenous uprisings and rebellions occurred in various areas of the Chilean territory conquered by the Spanish. Very soon the discontent was growing among the native peoples, which attacked villages and mining territories, as well as various areas of Concón.

In September 1541, the Picunche chief Michimalonko fiercely attacked the newly founded city of Santiago. The small village was totally destroyed.

Valdivia arrest

Valdivia participated in several expeditions of the Conquest to America: in Venezuela and Santo Domingo and later in Peru. In this last expedition, in return for his performance, Pizarro promoted him to the rank of field master.

After the assassination of Francisco Pizarro in Peru and the publication of the New Laws of the Indies in 1542, his brother Gonzalo took power after defeating the forces of the Peruvian viceroy, Blasco Núñez Vela. Valdivia joined Gonzalo's army, who confirmed him the position of Governor of Chile.

The Spanish Emperor, Carlos V, sent Pedro de La Gasca to reestablish the authority of the Crown in Peru. Gonzalo Pizarro was defeated by the royalist forces in the battle of Jaquijaguana (1548). After voluntarily surrendering, he was executed.

Then, Valdivia was arrested and tried in Lima, where he was led back by the troops of the new viceroy. He cleverly saved himself from the charges against him after preparing a clever defense. In this way he managed to get Pedro de La Gasca to acquit him and reconfirm his title of governor.

He only imposed one condition on him: that he must end his concubine relationship with Inés de Suárez, which was not consented to by the Catholic Church.

Conquest of the South

Valdivia conquered the territories located in the central zone of Chile. He made the respective recognition of the territories of Cuyo and Tucumán, subjecting the tribes of the Atacama region without major problem. Later, the conqueror continued his way to the south in the dominions of the Mapuche Indians.

The conqueror wanted to expand his possessions and extended numerous settlements throughout the immense territory; this helped to disperse their military force. Although before reaching Copiapó he did not encounter any more organized indigenous resistance and managed to subdue the natives, further south everything changed.

In 1550 the army of Valdivia faced the Mapuches for the first time in the vicinity of the Biobío River. Here began a long and bloody war that lasted until the middle of the 17th century.

Later in 1553 the indigenous uprising of the regions of Arauco and Tucapel took place, where Valdivia was taken prisoner.

Valdivia was assassinated by the Mapuches with the same cruelty that the Spanish conquered Chilean territory. The death of the shrewd conqueror on December 25, 1553, marked a long period of instability in the conquest of Chile for most of the 16th century.

References

1. Conquest of Chile: Pedro de Valdivia. Consulted of icarito.cl
2. Discovery and conquest of Chile. educarchile.cl
3. Discovery and conquest of America and Chile. Consulted of icarito.cl
4. Pedro de Valdivia (ca. 1500-1553). Consulted of memoriachilena.cl
5. The death of Pedro de Valdivia. Consulted of curistoria.com
6. Diego de Almagro. Consulted of es.wikipedia.org
7. Who really discovered Chile? Consulted of centroestudios.cl