Old Fatherland (, ) refers to a time period in the

history of Chile The territory of Chile has been populated since at least 3000 BC. By the 16th century, Spanish invaders began to raid the region of present-day Chile, and the territory was a colony from 1540 to 1818, when it gained Chilean War of Independence, i ...

occurring between the First Junta of the Government (September 18, 1810) and the

Disaster of Rancagua The Battle of Rancagua, also known in Chile as the Disaster of Rancagua, occurred on October 1, 1814, to October 2, 1814, when the Spanish Army under the command of Mariano Osorio defeated the Chilean forces led by Bernardo O’Higgins. This ...

(October 1, 1814). In this period, Chilean measures were taken for the imprisonment of

Fernando VII of Spain Ferdinand VII (; 14 October 1784 – 29 September 1833) was King of Spain during the early 19th century. He reigned briefly in 1808 and then again from 1813 to his death in 1833. Before 1813 he was known as ''el Deseado'' (the Desired), and af ...

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte (born Napoleone di Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French general and statesman who rose to prominence during the French Revolution and led Military career ...

and this started the governmental organization of the Kingdom of Chile, which swore fidelity to Ferdinand VII. This period was characterized by the transformation from a movement of temporary autonomy to one of total independence. Two things that stood out during this period were the political prominence of the Carrera brothers, especially

José Miguel Carrera José Miguel Carrera Verdugo (; October 15, 1785 – September 4, 1821) was a Chilean general, formerly Spanish military, member of the prominent Carrera family, and considered one of the founders of independent Chile. Carrera was the most impor ...

and the military campaigns led by

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; 20 August 1778 – 24 October 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque people, Basque-Spanish people, Spani ...

as General. (

Battle of Membrillar The battle of Membrillar occurred on 20 March 1814, during the War of Chilean Independence. Background Prior to the fall of Talca in early March, Juan Mackenna had been positioned along the rata Itata river with a small division of patri ...

Battle of Yerbas Buenas The Battle of Yerbas Buenas developed during the Chilean War of Independence on April 27, 1813. It is also known as the Surprise of Yerbas Buenas. In the battle, the Chilean forces, under the command of Colonel Juan de Dios Puga, and the Spani ...

, and

Battle of El Roble The Battle of El Roble was fought on the Itata river, 17 October 1813, between the Chilean patriot general José Miguel Carrera and Spanish royalist forces under the command of Clemente Lantaño and Luis Urrejola. The surprise patriot victory a ...

). During this time a Government Junta of Chile as well as a

National Congress National Congress is a term used in the names of various political parties and legislatures. Political parties *Ethiopia: Oromo National Congress, original name of the Oromo People's Congress *Guyana: People's National Congress Reform *India: **In ...

were organized to administer the country during the imprisonment of the king. The Congress passed a law decreeing ''Liberty of the Womb'', which stated that all children of slaves born on Chilean soil from that point onwards would be free. In 1812, the first constitutional decree was passed, which agreed to recognize the king if he accepted certain constitutional regulations.

References

{{reflist Chilean War of Independence 1810 establishments in the Captaincy General of Chile 1814 disestablishments in the Captaincy General of Chile Former monarchies of South America States and territories disestablished in 1814