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| 1859 |
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| Civil war. Despite popular support for anti-Montt forces, the government defeated rebels. Varas, however, withdrew his candidacy. Montt nominated the more moderate José Joaquín Pérez (1800–89). | 1 |
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| 1861–71 |
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| Administration of J. J. Pérez for two five-year terms. | 2 |
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| 1861 |
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| Mapuche Indians rebelled against encroachment by settlers. Regulations to prevent indiscriminate transfer of Indian lands to Chilean and foreign settlers were not enforced. | 3 |
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| 1866 |
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| A brief war with Spain resulted from hostilities between Spain and Peru. | 4 |
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| 1869 |
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| Founding of Sociedad Nacional de Agricultura (SNA), which pushed for measures to protect big cattle interests from effects of free trade. Col. José Manuel Pinto led the Chilean army in a war of extermination against Mapuche Indians. | 5 |
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| 1871–75 |
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| Federico Errázuriz Zañartu was elected president. He consolidated liberal influence. | 6 |
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| 1876–81 |
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| Aníbal Pinto, president. The depression of 1873 worsened, causing widespread poverty and unemployment. | 7 |
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| 1879–83 |
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| The WAR OF THE PACIFIC began when Bolivia unilaterally revoked a treaty exempting Chilean nitrate companies operating in Antofagasta from taxation. The Chilean army took Antofagasta; Bolivia, allied with Peru, declared war on Chile. Chile declared war on Bolivia and Peru (April 1879). The Chilean army was small and poor, but Peruvian and Bolivian armies were even less prepared for war. The Chilean navy controlled the sea. In 1880, after battles in which 5,000 soldiers died, Chilean forces occupied Arica and Tacna. Lima was occupied in 1882, after much bloodshed. To support their army, Chileans confiscated Peruvian properties and levied taxes. They imposed Gen. Miguel Iglesias (1830–1909) as president of Peru. Iglesias signed the Treaty of Ancón, by which Chile gained Tarapacá from Peru, and Tacna and Arica for ten years. A plebiscite to decide the destiny of these territories was never held. Chile also gained Antofagasta, and Bolivia signed a truce in 1884. Chile acquired nitrate fields and increased its territory by more than a third. | 8 |
| Nitrate regions became a market for foodstuffs as their population grew. Labor conditions were poor and hazardous. Workers founded mutual-aid societies, cultural clubs, and a working-class press. | 9 |
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| 1881–86 |
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| Administration of Pres. Domingo Santa Maria (1825–89). Suffrage was extended to all males over 25 years of age (1884). | 10 |
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| 1883 |
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| Army campaign against the Mapuches reduced them to reservations. | 11 |
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| 1886–91 |
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| JOSÉ MANUEL BALMACEDA (1841–91) was elected president. He had sharp conflicts with the congress, which opposed his attempts to strengthen presidential powers. Balmaceda invested in public works and education. British entrepreneurs, meanwhile, sought to consolidate their control over the nitrate industry, provoking Chilean nationalism. In 1889, Balmaceda moved against J. T. North's railway; this British firm monopolized nitrate hauling in Tarapacá. J. T. North, backed by the British Foreign Office, sought support among Balmaceda's opponents. | 12 |
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| 1891 |
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| Civil war. Congress called upon Capt. Jorge Montt (1846–1922) to take up arms against Pres. Balmaceda. Montt's forces occupied the north, thus securing nitrate revenues for the congress, and recruiting nitrate workers. Government troops were defeated at Concón and Placilla. Balmaceda fled to the Argentine embassy and took his own life (Sept. 19). | 13 |
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