Destruction of Santiago facts for kids

The Destruction of Santiago happened on September 11, 1541. Santiago is now the capital of Chile. This event was a big fight between Spanish explorers and a group of Mapuche-Picunche tribes.

Why the Attack Happened

The Spanish explorers, called conquistadors, were feeling worried and weaker. Some of their people had rebelled and were punished. Also, a mine at Marga Marga was destroyed, and a ship at Concón was burned. These events made the Spanish numbers smaller. They were left with about 130 men, women, and children. They were also afraid of attacks from the native people.

The Mapuche people saw that the Spanish were few in number and not getting help. This made them want to unite. All the native groups from Aconcagua, Santiago, and Cachapoal joined together. Their leader was a toqui (a Mapuche war chief) named Michimalonco. Their goal was to attack the Spanish and make them leave their lands.

Pedro de Valdivia, the Spanish leader, thought it was best to split up the native forces before they could attack. So, he took about 90 to 100 men and rode quickly to the Cachapoal valley. He left behind 32 cavalry (soldiers on horseback), 18 men with arquebuses (early guns), and about 300 to 350 yanakuna (native helpers). These were led by Alonso de Monroy in Santiago.

The Mapuche knew what the Spanish were doing. They had spies among the friendly natives and the yanakuna. When they heard that Valdivia had left with his men, they decided it was the perfect time to attack the foreigners.

The Fight for Santiago

At 4:00 AM on September 11, a large army of native warriors appeared. There were between 8,000 and 10,000 of them. They came out of the forests around Santiago. A guard named Santiago de Azoca sounded the alarm. The Spanish defenders quickly went to their assigned places. These spots had been planned by Monroy and maestre de campo Francisco de Villagra.

The Mapuche warriors were protected by a palisade (a fence of strong wooden stakes). They shot arrows and threw stones at the city's defenders. The Spanish managed to hold on until sunrise. They fought hard, but their small numbers made it impossible to rest. One after another, the conquistadors got hurt. Ines De Suarez helped by bandaging their wounds with shirt sleeves or rags. Then, the wounded soldiers would go back to fighting.

The native warriors were angry because the Spanish kept fighting so strongly. They set fire to the hay farms nearby. The Spanish defenders could not leave their positions to put out the fires. The Mapuche would not have let them anyway. The Spanish had to pull back to the main plaza. This became their last and only place to defend. It is said that Pedro Sánchez de la Hoz left his prison, dragging his chains. He grabbed a spear and joined the fight. Alonso de Monroy allowed him to remove his chains. He fought bravely until the battle ended. A priest, Father Lobo, also helped in the battle. He fought like "a wolf amongst sheep" at the front of a cavalry charge.

Inés de Suarez's Brave Plan

After fighting for almost 12 hours, the Spanish were losing. Two men had already died, and almost everyone was wounded. They were also very tired from endless fighting with spears and swords.

But Ines De Suarez, who was with Pedro de Valdivia, had an idea. She thought it could save the Spanish explorers. She believed that killing the seven captive caciques (native chiefs) was their only hope. Inés suggested cutting off their heads and throwing them among the native attackers. This, she hoped, would cause panic. Many men thought they would lose and disagreed with her. They argued that keeping the native leaders alive was their only chance to survive.

But Inés insisted on her plan. She went to the house where the leaders were held. Francisco Rubio and Hernando de la Torre were guarding them. She told them to execute the prisoners. Witnesses said that de la Torre asked how they should kill the prisoners. Inés answered, "in this manner." She then took a sword from the guard. She cut off the head of Quilicanta, and then all the other captive chiefs. After that, she threw their heads among the attackers herself.

The native warriors saw this. They understood it as a warning that they would suffer the same fate if they did not leave. Amazingly, they turned around and started to retreat. They had been very close to winning the battle.

What Happened Next

Almost all the Spanish explorers were wounded. They lost two men, fifteen horses, and many native helpers. But these losses were small compared to the damage from the fire in the city. About half of Santiago was burned to the ground.

Alonso de Monroy sent a message to Pedro de Valdivia. He wrote that all that was left after the fire were "the precious horses, their arms,...two small pigs, a sucking-pig, a cock and hen, and about two handfuls of wheat." Pedro de Valdivia returned to Santiago four days after the attack. When he heard about the attack, he had marched from Cachapoal with fourteen of his men. He left the rest with Pedro Gomez to keep fighting the natives in Cachapoal.

The Mapuche expected Valdivia to punish them fiercely when he returned. But he understood that continuing the fight would be the worst choice. He tried to find a peaceful solution. The peace that followed allowed the Spanish to rebuild the city. This time, they used adobe (a type of mud brick). This would help reduce damage from any future fires.