September 18
Chile Establishes First Government Junta
Chilean elites convened an open cabildo in Santiago on September 18, 1810, and established the First Government Junta to exercise local authority in the name of the deposed Spanish king Ferdinand VII.
Summary
By 1810, Napoleon's invasion of Spain had deposed King Ferdinand VII, creating a power vacuum across Spanish colonies in the Americas. In Chile, local elites and criollos grew restless under the rule of Governor Francisco García Carrasco amid economic grievances and Enlightenment ideas. On September 18, 1810, an open cabildo meeting in Santiago forced the creation of the First Government Junta, with Mateo de Toro Zambrano as president, to govern in the absent king's name. The junta asserted local authority while nominally loyal to the Spanish crown, marking the beginning of organized self-rule. This step ignited Chile's path toward full independence through subsequent wars and political transformations.
Context
Napoleon's 1808 invasion of Spain and the imprisonment of King Ferdinand VII created a profound crisis of legitimacy across the Spanish Empire. With the peninsular government in disarray and a Supreme Central Junta eventually giving way to a Regency Council based in Cádiz, colonial authorities faced mounting questions about who held rightful power. In the Captaincy General of Chile, one of the smaller and poorer Spanish possessions, these European upheavals intersected with local tensions between peninsular officials and criollo elites.
What Happened
Governor Francisco García Carrasco's authoritarian style and involvement in the 1809 Scorpion scandal eroded his authority, leading to his forced resignation on July 16, 1810. He was succeeded by the elderly criollo Mateo de Toro Zambrano, Count of la Conquista. Pressured by juntista leaders inspired by the recent May Revolution in Buenos Aires, Toro Zambrano agreed to an open cabildo meeting in Santiago on September 18. At the gathering of several hundred leading citizens, cries of “¡Junta queremos!” prevailed; Toro Zambrano placed his ceremonial baton on the table and yielded to the demand for a provisional junta.
Aftermath
The new body, formally styled the Provisional Government Junta of the Kingdom in the name of Ferdinand VII, swore loyalty to the absent king while assuming the full powers of a royal governor. It promptly created a militia, opened trade to neutral and allied nations, and called for a National Congress. Real influence quickly shifted to secretary Juan Martínez de Rozas; Toro Zambrano died in February 1811 and was succeeded by Rozas after the vice president’s illness.
Legacy
The September 18 junta inaugurated the Patria Vieja period and set Chile on the long road to full independence, formally declared in 1818 after years of royalist reconquest and patriot resurgence. The date became Chile’s principal national holiday, Fiestas Patrias, and the event is remembered as the first organized assertion of local self-rule in the colony, mirroring similar juntas elsewhere in Spanish America and accelerating the broader process of decolonization.
Why It Matters
The junta's formation launched Chile's independence process, known as the Patria Vieja period, and inspired similar movements across South America. Though full independence came only in 1818 after years of conflict, September 18 became Chile's national holiday, Fiestas Patrias, embedding the date in national identity. It exemplified how European upheavals catalyzed Latin American decolonization and the rise of republican governance in the region.
Related Questions
Why did Chilean leaders form a junta in 1810 instead of declaring full independence?
They acted in the name of the imprisoned Ferdinand VII to maintain legal continuity while asserting local control during the Spanish power vacuum.
Who was the most influential figure in the First Junta?
Juan Martínez de Rozas, serving as secretary, quickly became the dominant political force and later president.
How did events in Spain directly affect Chile in 1810?
Napoleon’s occupation and the collapse of the Supreme Central Junta left no clear metropolitan authority, prompting colonials to organize provisional governments.
What immediate steps did the junta take after its formation?
It swore loyalty to Ferdinand VII, created a militia, liberalized trade with neutrals, and summoned a National Congress.
Why is September 18 still celebrated in Chile today?
The date marks the birth of organized self-rule and is observed as Fiestas Patrias, Chile’s principal national holiday.
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Sources
- Chilean War of Independence, Wikipedia. Accessed 2026-07-04.