Chile 1648 CE

What is happening in Chile in 1648CE

For centuries, the people of northern present-day Chile had come under the influence of the great Peruvian civilizations to the north, and had finally been conquered by the Inca empire. However, the Inca armies had been unable to subdue the warlike Araucanians, in central Chile.

The north of present-day Chile quickly fell under Spanish control, along with most of the rest of the Inca empire. Further south, however, there was a different story. It took years for central Chile to be pacified.

Not finding the kind of natural resources the Spanish were interested in (above all gold and silver), the settlers concentrate on farming. Ongoing clashes with the Araucanians require the Spanish to keep a large garrison in the region.

Next map, Chile in 1789