Chilean Civil War of 1829 - Constitutional Essays

The time between 1823 and 1828 is called of the Constitutional Essays. The first of these three essays is the moralist (1823) of Juan Egaña, which created a unitary state, democratic (for men of the upper classes) and catholic. The executive power was in the hands of a Supreme Director, elected for four years and to be reelected only once. This system was no sooner in place when it came under attack from the proponents of a federalist system. The abolition of slavery in this constitution - long before most other countries in the Americas - was considered one of the liberals' few lasting achievements.

In their impatience, the federalist leaders forced Congress to adopt some laws giving federal rights to the provinces. In 1825, José Miguel Infante was President of the Directorial Council that was in charge of the administration while Supreme Director Freire was away capturing Chiloé from the Royalist forces. Using their position, the council created the eight Provincial Assemblies that would become the basis for the federal system. The eight provinces were: Coquimbo, Aconcagua, Santiago, Colchagua, Maule, Concepción, Valdivia and Chiloé. The second essay thus was the federalist written by Infante in 1826, though it was never formally adopted.