Captaincy General of Chile - Government

Government

History of Chile

Early History
  • Monte Verde
  • Mapuche
  • Inca Empire
Colonial times
  • Conquest of Chile
  • Spanish Empire
  • Captaincy General
  • Arauco War
Building a nation
  • Patria Vieja
  • War of Independence
  • Patria Nueva
  • 1829–30 Civil War
  • War of the Confederation
Republican period
  • Conservative Republic
  • Liberal Republic
  • War of the Pacific
Parliamentary period
  • 1891 Chilean Civil War
  • Parliamentary Republic
  • 1924 coup d'état
Presidential period
  • 1925 coup d'état
  • Presidential Republic
  • Radical governments
  • Allende and UP era
Pinochet regime
  • 1973 coup d'état
  • Military dictatorship
Contemporary Chile
  • Transition to democracy
  • Politics of Chile
Topics
  • Economic history
  • Chilean coups d'état
  • Political scandals

As noted, the area had been designated a governorship (gobernación) during the initial exploration and settlement of the area, but because the local Amerindian peoples demonstrated fierce resistance, a more autonomous, military-based governmental authority was needed. Thus, the governor was given command of the local military and the title of captain general. This arrangement was seen in many places of the Spanish Empire.

The greatest setback the Spanish settlements suffered was the Disaster of Curalaba in 1598, which nearly wiped them out. All cities south of the Bio-Bío River with the exception of Castro were destroyed. The river became La Frontera, the de facto border between Spanish and native areas for the next century. (See Arauco War)

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