Chile: The Furthest Frontier
of the Spanish Empire

Chile was the southern frontier of the Spanish Empire in the Americas, and its control was of vital importance for two main reasons: it gave access to the Strait of Magellan, and therefore the Pacific, and its geographical location offered protection to the Viceroyalty of Peru by land and sea. Yet, its control was harder than the Spaniards expected. Indigenous people living in the south-central area of Chile, known as Reche-Mapuche, had previously defeated the Incas and were never conquered. The Spanish Crown ended up conceding their independence if they acknowledged the Spanish King. The Reche-Mapuche resistance against the Spaniards and the geostrategic position of Chile attracted many European powers –mostly Dutch and British– who also tried to invade the land. However, their attempts were similarly unsuccessful. Removed from the empire’s core, the Reche-Mapuche shaped a very dynamic and productive colonial frontier that also functioned as a material crossroad between the Spaniards, the Dutch, the British, and other local communities.