Facing mounting political opposition and fears of civil war, Bernardo O’Higgins resigned as Supreme Director. A short-lived governing junta took over to manage the transition and negotiate a new political settlement. This resignation opened a turbulent period of experiments over how the new republic should be organized.
After the provisional junta period, Ramón Freire took office as Supreme Director. His government became a central actor in the decade’s debates over executive power, the role of Congress, and the shape of provincial authority. The new leadership quickly moved toward rewriting the constitutional rules of the state.
A new constitution drafted under the influence of Juan Egaña was promulgated, later nicknamed the “Moralist Constitution” because it aimed to regulate civic behavior as well as political institutions. It tried to strengthen order through detailed rules, but it proved difficult to apply. The text quickly became a symbol of how unstable Chile’s early constitutional experiments were.
By mid-1824, the 1823 constitution was suspended after persistent criticism and practical difficulties. The suspension showed how quickly political coalitions could turn against a constitutional design once it met everyday governance problems. Chile entered another phase of searching for workable institutions and authority.
Chile and Spanish authorities on Chiloé signed the Treaty of Tantauco, ending organized Spanish rule in the archipelago and incorporating it into Chile. This mattered for state formation because it strengthened territorial control and reduced a major remaining royalist foothold. It also helped the central government focus more on internal political disputes.
After Freire resigned as Supreme Director, Congress chose a new executive title—President of the Republic—and elected Admiral Manuel Blanco Encalada. The change signaled an effort to stabilize leadership by replacing the old independence-era “Supreme Director” framework. However, the presidency still faced major fiscal and political crises.
Congress approved a key law stating that Chile would be organized under a federal system, launching a set of “Federal Laws.” These measures aimed to give provinces greater self-government, including local elections and provincial assemblies. The federal experiment deepened political divisions over whether Chile should be centralized or decentralized.
Political conflict and military pressure continued, culminating in a failed coup associated with the Santiago garrison. Acting president Agustín Eyzaguirre resigned soon after, showing how fragile civilian authority was in the late 1820s. The resignation set the stage for another turnover and renewed constitutional debate.
A new constitution was promulgated in Valparaíso, often described as a liberal framework compared with earlier designs. It attempted to clarify the structure of government and political rights, but it did not end factional conflict. Disputes over elections and executive succession soon pushed Chile toward open confrontation.
After the 1829 presidential election, conflict centered on the vice-presidential selection and who should legally succeed to executive power. The dispute became a political breaking point between liberal “pipiolos” and conservative “pelucones.” What began as an institutional fight over constitutional rules escalated into armed rebellion and civil war.
Conservative and liberal forces fought at Ochagavía near Santiago, and the fighting ended in a conservative battlefield advantage. The clash led to a short-lived attempt to pause hostilities and reorganize authority. In the power vacuum, a governing junta was created as a stopgap, but the core conflict remained unresolved.
A Government Junta led by José Tomás Ovalle began ruling to avoid further immediate breakdown after the fighting around Santiago. The junta aimed to restore basic governance and manage negotiations between rival factions. Its short tenure highlighted that Chile still lacked a broadly accepted constitutional authority.
Francisco Ruiz-Tagle was installed as provisional president, but he resigned after only weeks amid escalating political and military tensions. José Tomás Ovalle, as vice president, assumed the acting presidency. The rapid turnover signaled that the civil conflict was moving toward a decisive military outcome rather than a negotiated constitutional compromise.
At Lircay, conservative forces defeated the liberal army led by Ramón Freire in the war’s final major battle. The defeat broke the liberal military challenge and pushed Freire into exile. This victory opened the way for a longer period of conservative dominance in national politics and state-building.
After Lircay, remaining resistance and regional unrest continued, especially in the north, prompting negotiations. The Treaty of Cuz-Cuz was signed between conservatives and liberals to help end the immediate cycle of armed conflict. In Chilean political memory, it marks the closing of the early republican civil war phase and the start of a more centralized conservative order.
Early Republican Turmoil and Civil War (1823–1830)
