Conquest of Chile facts for kids
.jpg)
The Conquest of Chile was a time in Chile's history when Spain took control. It started in 1541 when Pedro de Valdivia arrived. It ended around 1598 with the death of Martín García Óñez de Loyola in the Battle of Curalaba. Another way to see the end is with the Destruction of the Seven Cities.
During this time, the Spanish built many cities. They also created the Kingdom of Chile, which was a part of the Spanish Empire. Some of the cities founded were Santiago (1541), La Serena (1544), and Concepción (1551). Other cities included La Imperial, Valdivia, Villarrica (1552), Los Confines (1553), Cañete (1557), Osorno (1558), Arauco (1566), Castro (1567), Chillán (1580), and Santa Cruz de Oñez (1595).
The period of conquest ended when Governor Loyola died and seven Spanish cities in the Araucanía region were lost. The Arauco War continued for many years. However, the Spanish never fully regained control of the lands south of the River of Bío Bío.
Key Events in the Conquest of Chile
This timeline shows some of the most important events during the Spanish conquest of Chile.
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1540 | December | Pedro de Valdivia claimed Chile for the King of Spain. |
| 1541 | February 12 | The city of Santiago was founded. |
| September 11 | The Picunche leader Michimalonco attacked Santiago. The city was badly damaged, but the Spanish fought back. | |
| 1544 | September 4 | La Serena was founded by Juan Bohón. |
| 1549 | January 11 | Native people destroyed La Serena. |
| August 26 | La Serena was rebuilt. | |
| 1551 | October 5 | Concepción was founded. |
| 1552 | San Felipe de Rauco, La Imperial, and Villarrica were founded. | |
| February 9 | The city of Valdivia was founded by Pedro de Valdivia. | |
| 1553 | Los Confines was founded. | |
| December 25 | The Battle of Tucapel took place. Governor Pedro de Valdivia was killed after the battle. | |
| 1554 | February 23 | The Battle of Marihueñu happened. Concepción was left empty and destroyed. |
| October 17 | Jerónimo de Alderete was named governor of Chile by the king in Spain, but he died on his way to Chile. | |
| 1557 | April 1 | Francisco de Villagra defeated the Mapuche people and killed their leader Lautaro at the Battle of Mataquito. |
| April 23 | The new governor, García Hurtado de Mendoza, arrived in La Serena. | |
| June | García Hurtado de Mendoza arrived at Concepción Bay. He built a fort at Penco and defeated the Mapuche army that tried to remove him. | |
| October 10 | García Hurtado de Mendoza defeated the Mapuche army in the Battle of Lagunillas. | |
| November 7 | García Hurtado de Mendoza defeated Caupolicán in the Millarupe. | |
| 1558 | January 11 | Cañete was founded by Mendoza. |
| February 5 | Pedro de Avendaño captured the Mapuche leader (toqui) Caupolicán. He was later executed in Cañete. | |
| March 27 | Osorno was founded. | |
| December 13 | In the Battle of Quiapo, Mendoza defeated the Mapuche, and San Felipe de Araucan was rebuilt. | |
| 1559 | January 6 | Concepción was rebuilt. |
| 1561 | Francisco de Villagra became governor after García Hurtado de Mendoza. | |
| 1563 | Cañete was abandoned. | |
| July 22 | Francisco de Villagra died. His cousin Pedro de Villagra became governor. San Felipe de Araucan was soon abandoned. | |
| August 29 | The lands of Tucumán were separated from Chile and given to another Spanish court, the Real Audiencia of Charcas. | |
| 1564 | February | Concepción was attacked by native Mapuches, but they did not succeed in taking it. |
| 1565 | A Real Audiencia (a high court and governing body) was set up in Concepción. | |
| 1566 | January | San Felipe de Araucan was rebuilt. |
| 1567 | With the founding of Castro, Spanish control in Chile reached the Chiloé Archipelago. | |
| 1570 | February 8 | The 1570 Concepción earthquake shook all of south-central Chile. |
| 1575 | The Real Audiencia in Concepción was closed down. | |
| December 16 | The 1575 Valdivia earthquake affected all of southern Chile. | |
| 1576 | April | Valdivia was flooded by a Riñihuazo (a natural dam break) caused by the 1575 earthquake. |
| 1578 | December 5 | Valparaíso was robbed by Francis Drake. He was the first corsair (a pirate working for a government) in Chilean waters. |
| 1580 | June 26 | Chillán was founded. |
| 1584 | March 25 | Rey Don Felipe was founded in the Straits of Magellan by Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa. |
| 1587 | Thomas Cavendish found Rey Don Felipe as a ruined city. | |
| 1594 | May | The fort of Santa Cruz de Oñez was founded. It became the city of Santa Cruz de Coya the next year. |
| 1598 | December 21 | The Battle of Curalaba took place. Governor Martín García Óñez de Loyola was killed during the battle. |
| 1599 | Los Confines, Santa Cruz de Coya, and Valdivia were destroyed. | |
| The Real Situado, an annual payment to help pay for the Arauco War, was started. | ||
| 1600 | La Imperial was destroyed. | |
| 1602 | Villarrica was destroyed. | |
| March 13 | A fort was built in the ruins of Valdivia. | |
| 1603 | February 7 | The last people living in Villarrica gave up to the Mapuches and were taken captive. |
| 1604 | Arauco and Osorno were destroyed. | |
| February 3 | The fort at Valdivia was abandoned. |
Images for kids
-
Map showing the Inca Empire's growth in Chile before the Spanish arrived.
See also
In Spanish: Conquista de Chile para niños
