Conservative Party (Chile) - in Power: 1830-1851

In Power: 1830-1851

Furious with this violation of the Constitution, the pelucones began a revolt against the liberal-dominated government. President Pinto resigned and Vicuña refused to accept the vicepresidency. A series of provisional presidents succeeded Pinto, each of them unable to quell the pelucón revolt.

This civil war saw the rise of a new group, the estanqueros, moderates who wanted an end to the political instability. This group was led by Diego Portales and became allied to the pelucón forces which finally defeated the liberals, led by former president Ramón Freire, in the Battle of Lircay of 1830. The next year, presidential elections were held and won by José Joaquín Prieto, an ex-o'higginista sympathetic to the pelucones who had led the conservative forces in Lircay.

Prieto's government was dominated by influential Minister Diego Portales. Portales convinced Prieto to establish a commission to draft a new constitution. This constitution was completed and put into effect in 1833. It contained numerous authoritarian elements but nevertheless guaranteed a few essential liberties. Also under Portales' advise, Prieto declared war on the Peru-Bolivian Confederation, who had backed a failed anti-government revolt. Although Portales was assassinated before the war was over, Chile defeated the confederation, which was dissolved. This brought the pelucones a huge amount of popularity.

This popularity was reflected in the 1834 parliamentary elections, in which the pelucones received 49 seats out of 63 in the Chamber of Deputies and 10 seats of out 20 in the Senate, thus gaining control of all of Congress. Prieto was easily reelected to another five year term on 1836. In 1841, the conservative candidate, Manuel Bulnes was elected to the presidency and reelected again in 1846. Throughout Prieto and Bulnes' presidencies, the pelucones maintained control of Congress.