Then Chile Caught the Bug
With Spain busy trying to save their king from the French and the country’s corrupt Governor García Carrasco hiding out after a deal with the Brits went horribly wrong, Chilenos were free to discuss their future out of the Spanish empire. On September 18, 1810, patriots Bernardo de Vera Pintado, Count Mateo de Toro y Zambrano and rich boy-turned-revolutionary hero Bernardo O-Higgins—met in Santiago and decided that they would declare independence while still maintaining a close and loyal relationship with the Spanish throne. In 1826 after almost a decade of war Chile was free. But the all important September 18th meeting is recognized as the country’s first real steps away from the Spanish crown.