Algo Habrán Hecho por la Historia de Chile. Capitulo 1. Lautaro y Pedro de Valdivia. HD

Hey Manuel, why did we start in Santiago?

Because this is where Pedro de Valdivia
settles

After more than one year of travel
from Peru.

And here is where what we know today as
Chile starts.

So this centralism starts early!

Not really. Valdivia never planned to stay
in the centro for long

His obsession was to make his way to the
South.

But various circumstances kept him here.

Did you notice that he's missing
his reins?

They stole them?

That's how the sculptor chose to portray
a country that governs itself.

Without Spanish authority.

What's going on?

What we came for.

For what?

To the first battle of Santiago.

Little over 7 months after its founding,
Santiago is attacked

By more than 8 thousand indigenous.

8 thousand? And how many Spaniards?

Spaniards? Little more than 50.

The attackers are liberated by that man,
Michimalonco.

We have to burn everything!

Where is Pedro de Valdivia?

Valdivia is not here, he's left Santiago

Precisely in search for indigenous rebels.

Well someone must tell him that there's
a bunch here!

How did they get here?

To understand that we have to go back
a bit.

In January of the year before, Pedro de
Valdivia's expedition leaves Cuzco,

The old capital of the Incan empire, which
was then under Spanish rule.

Valdivia makes his way to Chile with only
12 Spaniards.

On his way, others join until they
are 150.

Another 1,500 indigenous also make the
trip, brought from towns

Already under Spanish rule.

They are called "Indios of service,"
or yanaconas.

Hundreds of them lose their lives during
the trip.

Some of them battling against the
indigenous resistance.

The majority due to thirst, hunger, and
exhaustion.

Although they are not considered slaves
like Africans, in practice they are.

When the news reach the valleys that
Valdivia and his men are on the way

Worry fills the indigenous.

But how do they find out so quickly that
Valdivia is on the way?

All of this area is part of the
Incan empire

Which is known for its great communication
system.

That is Michimalonco.

Which means "head of torch"

A cacique that dominates a great part of
the Aconcagua Valley.

5 years before, he came into contact with
Diego de Almagro's expedition.

That is why he profoundly distrusts
the Spaniards.

The one next to him with grey hair
is Loncomilla,

Who trusts that these Spaniards are
different from the others

And that they come in peace.

But Michimalonco believes that if the
earth has to be watered with blood,

That blood has to be from the "huencas."

It seems like Almagro left a very bad
impression of the Spanish.

As well as for Chile.

What? Chile's name already exists?

Yes, but its origin is mysterious.

Chile. Some say its name comes from
a bird, the "Chi."

Or from the Quechua word "chili" which
means cold.

Others, that Chili was the name of a
Cacique that governed

The Aconcagua Valley.

Other theories exist but there is not
enough evidence to point to one.

And why do you say that Almagro left
a bad name for Chile?

Because he also came here from Peru with
the idea of becoming rich.

And it went horribly.

Diego de Almagro's expedition cost a
fortune,

Much more expensive than Valdivia's.

Between Spaniards, slaves, and yanaconas,
it surpassed 10,000 people.

A mega-production.

Exactly. The Incan monarch had given him
a tip.

That in the lands of the Chilean valley,
gold was abundant.

Almagro found himself in extreme climates,
crossing the Andes and the desert.

As well as warrior indigenous,
particularly south of the Bio-Bio River.

His punishments were legendary, but gold
he found almost nothing.

So if Diego de Almagro came back talking
ill of Chile, why Valdivia come?

To execute an even more ambitious plan
than Almagro's.

He wants to reach the "Strait of All
Saints." The actual Strait of Magellan.

Fortify it and establish there a
commercial route with Spain.

Valdivia looks for more than riches. He
seeks, in his own words,

"To leave fame and memory."

So for him Santiago is nothing more than
a stepping stone?

But a very important one.

Valdivia needs to found a city because he
has enemies in his own ranks

And the only way to legitimize himself as
the most important Spanish authority

Of this area, is that a group of
neighbors name him as governor.

And where there are neighbors, there has
to be a city.

Pedro de Valdivia and his men arrive to
the Central Valley in December of 1540.

On February 12th of the following year,
he founds the city that he calls

Santiago of the New Extremity.

In honor of the saint and military
protector of the Spanish.

Well the city is now founded, now they
have to build it.

And for that, manpower is needed.

Which they begin to seek from the local
indigenous population.

I imagine they didn't put an ad on the
paper that reads,

"Prestigious international firm needs
labor force."

He's going to read the requirement.

And what is the requirement?

Look, pay attention.

"On behalf of his majesty, the emperor
Charles V,

I, Pedro the Valdivia, his server,
messenger, and captain,

I notify you that God, our Lord, one and
only created the heavens and earth

And one man and woman from which we are
all descendants of.

From all of these people, God our Lord,
gave Saint Pedro"

And what is all that sermon about?

Basically they are being told "or you
submit peacefully or we will submit you"

The classic "by reason or by force"

"If you recognize the Church as superior
of this world

And the Pope and his majesty as superior
and lord, and king of the islands

And earth, you will do well.

And you will receive love and charity.

If you don't, I will come with all my
power against you."

Tell me something, Manuel. Does he really
think they understand?

For the Spanish conquistadores, reading is
a requirement of a legal formality.

With that they hope to give some type of
legitimacy to the submission of indigenous

They read it from a ship or from the top
of a hill.

Sometimes they read it in Latin,
or Spanish.

Or Mandarin, it doesn't matter.

"And I will take all your belongings

And I will do all the harm I can."

From now on anyone that doesn't submit or
refuses to work for the Spanish,

Will be considered "Indio at war"

And this would be like our first code of
labor.

More like our first penal code.

Imposed by force and without consulting
the affected.

But in this period, this type of outrage
happens every day, right?

Yes, of course, and in all of America.

And all of this happens because the king
of Spain decides to send

These proper men to conquer some land.

Not really.

The conquest of America is a private
business.

How?

Let's go back, I'll explain there.

In 1541, the surface of Santiago is no
more than 8 blocks

From north to south, and 10 from east
to west.

Pedro de Valdivia resides in the current
Plaza de Armas.

Valdivia's home was right here.

Manuel, explain to me how conquest was a
private business.

What happens is that the crown claims as
its own the American territories

And it gives them away as grants.

To whom?

To those who are ready to conquer with
private funds.

For example, Valdivia and his men.

But tell me something, who finances
Valdivia? Himself?

Him and his partners ask for loans to
finance the expedition

That why when he leaves Peru, he does
heavily indebted.

So then Pedro de Valdivia is our first
debtor.

Thanks to the superiority that bring fire
arms and metal,

The use of horses, the proven military
tactics, and the support of the yanaconas,

The Spanish impose themselves in the
Central Valley.

One of the last sources of resistance from
the intial period of conquest

Is headed by the Cacique Michimalonco.

Take him.

When he is defeated trying to save the
lives of his wives and children

He promises to take the Spanish to the
very heart of the Incan wealth in Chile.

The gold mines of Marga Marga.

In Marga Marga gold really is abundant.

So much so that Valdivia immediately
orders the construction

Of a brigantine that allows him to export
his riches.

At that time, this whole area is covered
in forest.

It's hard to believe.

With that wood, 8 Spanish carpenters, in
this same spot, begin to build a ship

With which they plan to ship as much gold
as possible to Peru.

Gold, gold! The Spanish obsession
with gold is impressive.

Well, gold is like the oil of today.

At the time, the power and wealth of the
European nations

Was measured according to the amount of
gold and silver accumulated.

It is the economic system known as
mercantilism.

For the regions of America, gold doesn't
only have a symbolic and religious worth,

It also represents a currency of trade.

The Incas call gold "the sweat of the sun"

And through their dominance in Chile, they
extract it generously in Marga-Marga.

The Spanish confirm this when after 40
days of work,

They are able to extract almost 100 kilos
of the precious metal.

Valdivia's firm has literally hit the
jackpot.

And of these gains, how much does the
king get?

20% plus tax.

And I suppose the hard work isn't done by
the Spanish.

What do you think?

That they make the indigenous and
yanaconas work from dusk till dawn.

Not just them. The one and only
Michimalonco

Gives Valdivia no less than 600 of his
men.

Everyday the indigenous die exhausted
or sick.

The work conditions, even here, are harsh.

The discomfort, unhappiness, and anger
grow without an end.

A time bomb?

And this?

What has happened?

Speak, man!

Dead. Everyone is dead.

They have killed them all.

It happened yesterday in the mines. The
Cacique brought me me bucket

Filled with gold grains. There is a valley
where gold never runs out.

The indigenous assured me, so I left 2 men
in the mines and the rest of us

Went to get the tresure...

It was all a trap, an ambush. They were
hundreds!

And you? How did you survive?

(?)

...in the middle of the massacre.

We were able to escape, that's why
we are alive.

Dead. They are all dead.

Get the horses ready, we'll leave as
soon as possible.

Valdivia confirms first hand the
destruction in the mines

And the burning of his ship.

The carpenters and yanaconas that built it
were found massacred.

Since he doesn't catch the people
responsible,

Valdivia orders an exemplifying
punishment.

He captures the seven most important
Caciques of the Central Valley.

The first detention by suspicion.

Plus, it has a completely opposite
effect.

Indigenous groups that used to be enemies,
now unite in a crusade against the Spanish

It is lead by the Cacique Michimalonco.

(Prays)

Have you lost your mind?

(Illegible at the moment)

To venture outside of Santiago is
reckless, Pedro. A sure death

The death least dreaded gives more life.

An Indio gave the exact place where the
enemy is located.

A place they call Cachapoal.

An attack by surprise will allow me at
last to take care of this mess.

Behind every great man there is always
a great woman.

In Valdivia's case, there's two.

What?

Valdivia is married, and his wife Marina
is now in Spain.

He hasn't seen her in years.

After 8 years it's understandable, Manuel

Ines Suarez comes from Spain looking
for her husband

But when she gets to Cuzco she finds out
he has died.

She survives as a seamstress. She meets
Valdivia. They become lovers.

And then she asks him to bring her
with him.

Valdivia leaves Santiago to crush the
indigenous rebellion.

And he takes the biggest share of his
military power.

90 Spanish soldiers, and a similar number
of helping yanaconas.

Meanwhile, Michimalonco gathers with the
Caciques and proposes

To end with the Spanish, once and for all.

Pedro de Valdivia has been out for 5 days,
when they attack Santiago.

It is calculated as 8,000 indigenous
that participated in the attack.

Their main objective is to release the
seven captured Caciques,

And destroy the city in the process.

How interesting. The city is not even a
year old and it's already being destroyed.

Do you want to hear something really
impressive?

This happens in 1541, on a September 11.

The city of Santiago has been running for
7 months when it's about to be destroyed

Thousands of indigenous from the Central
Valley revolt against

Spanish dominance and abuse.

And this battle lasts how long? Months?

Not months, two days.

And thinking about it, Ines Suarez is
alone?

Those Indios are the cards that give us
the upper hand!

We have to give them up! It's the only way
to make it out alive from this hell.

Those Indios stay where they are!

We have to liberate them!

The captain Valdivia has ordered it this
way.

In Valdivia's absence, I am the authority!

I propose we negotiate.

We don't negotiate with Indios!

Then what?

We have to teach them that from now on,
the lords and owners of these lands

Are the Spanish!

We have to show them what our sword is
capable of.

What? What?

Ines Suarez decapitates the seven Caciques

And makes their heads roll in the plaza.

This raises Spanish spirits,

And it terrorizes the indigenous, that
surprisingly begin to retreat.

(Prays)

When he comes back from Cachapoal,
Valdivia finds his city burnt down.

Material damages...completely.

Dozens wounded. 4 Spanish dead. The major
amount of fallen are yanaconas.

The Spanish chroniclers never state it,
but it's said to be hundreds.

And something that historians do account,
is the death of 23 horses.

In the whole city, what is left is a
chicken, a chick, and a grain of wheat.

Oh and 3 pigs. That's how they must
survive,

Eating spring onion and grilled crickets.

LETTER FROM VALDIVIA
TO THE EMPEROR CHARLES V

Because for a soldier it's an honor
to die in battle

But to bare the hunger, they must
be more of a man

what is it?

You don't need to know

Pedro

At some point we won't be
able to resist it any longer

The Indios are destroying our crops

and at night-

I know, Ines.
you're talking like you lost it

No.

With no faith, we aren't any better
than those barbarians

But if we don't receive any help
we're going to Die!

I've prayed the virgin of help
to illuminate me

And I believe to have the solution

And what's Valdivia's plan besides
praying to the virgin?

He sends Alonso de Monroy and three
horseman to Perú seeking for help

Okay, and?

As a desperate last resource he sends them

with the biggest ammount of gold they can
carry to tent the Spanish men.

From the swords, to the horse's
horsehoes were made with

molten gold.

His sword is missing..

Is that another symbolism?

No, it got robbed

It got robbed?

Could it be that the same
happens to Morroy?

At one point around Copiapó, he and
his men are attacked by the Natives

And the gold?

They loose it all

Monroy escapes thanks the Cacique
who captured him got

deslumbrated by the horses

and gets obsessed with the idea of
learning how to ride them

Don't tell me that Monroy teached him
how to ride?

yes, and finally in one of those trips he
gets to escape, and arrives to Cuzco

There, he asks Pedro for credit
and goes back with fresh money

for his business

richer than ever, and how long
does it take him to go back?

two years.
two years?

yep, and once he arrives Valdivia
takes it like it was a virgin's miracle

and then, as a sign of gratitude,
he builds a shrine, and installs the

Image of the one he brought himself
from Spain

The shrine was in this exact place, where
today resides the San Francisco's church

Manuel, it's another Virgin

It's the same one, Pancho. It's just
that after the Barroco they begin

dressing her with fabric clothes.

It's hard to believe that that is the
same Pedro de Valdivia brang tied

to his horses harness

San Francisco's Church
Santiago, Chile

thanks to the resources monroy brang
Pedro can continue with the taking.

In 1548, seven years after
Santiago's founding, at Perú's viceroyalty

A huge revolt exploded between the
spanish men.

Once he finds out, Pedro de Valdivia
travels to fight for the viceking

and collaborates in an outstanding way
at the final victory.

Valdivia becomes a Hero, and is recognized
officially as Chile's governator

but along the so waited designation,
The viceking, Pedro de la Casqua

himposes him a harsh demand.

I have a wife, and I must respect her.

I'm sorry, Inés.

Valdivia gets accused of adultery

He is given a period of three months
to separate from Inés Suarez

and get her married with
a neighbor known by him.

Besides, he is forced to bring
her wife from Spain,

Marina Ortíz de Gaete.

After almost a decade of
encounters, Valdivia gets to subject

all the central zone.

again, Michimalongo is forced
to give up. this time

for real

The governor divides the land
between the neighbor countries.

Besides, the enslaved natives are
given to work them.

It's a system known as encomienda
(entrust)

Valdivia, obsessed with reaching
the Strait of Magallanes

starts his so desired journey to the south
not waiting the required backups.

It's been almost ten years

and the ammount of spanish men who wants
to come to Chile is still small

No matter the famous letters Pedro
de Valdivia writes to the king,

describing Chile as a paradise

well, actually in them he describes a
literary imagination that turns him

acording to many into
our country's first writer

As well as the first publisher

To the emperor Carlos V, most
sacred and indicted Cesar

so he lets the merchants know, if
they ever want to visit, to come.

Because summer is as templated, and has
such delightful air running that you can

walk under the sun all day, because the
people are grown and domestic

friendly, white and with pretty faces

Because there's a lot, and very beautiful
wood, and the mines are enriched in gold.

Chile, the Occidental
India's lost paradise

Valdivia's expedition heads to the south,
crosses the Bio-Bio river,

and from there on suffers
current Mapuche attacks

Along the Andalién river they get
attacted by nearly ten thousand

Mapuche warriors. Valdivia resists,
and during a letup he orders his tropes

to strenghten in the place.

a few days later there's a new attack,
but now the spanish are prepared

and get to defeat them with only a
cavarly charge.

as a hard lesson, Valdivia orders to
amputate hundreds of prisioner's noses,

and right hand.

He wants to crush his rivals morally,
so no one dares to question

who is this land's new lord.

Take a good look at the young man
taking care of the horse.

he has grown up with the spanish men,
he is Valdivia's Page

he has seen him fight and prepare battles

he has learned everything about
war through Valdivia.

His name is Felipe, but
in the future no one will know him

by that name.

Felipe!

I am not Felipe
(speaking in mapudungún)

My name is Lautaro

BREAK

-They must have done something
for Chile's history-

after ten years of battle in Chile,
and without the support of his loyal

companion, Inés Zuarez, Pedro
de Valdivia

heads to the strait of Magallanes.

but this time, he will fight
against the pure resistance of

the Mapuche villages, leaded by
an old acquaintance of his.

(Independence square, Concepción)

Last time Pedro de Valdivia decided to
give the natives a lesson it went wrong.

Yes, of course, 'cause a blind faith
leads him saying everything he does is

good. his main idea is to reach the
strait of magallanes but beforehand he

founds various cities, starting for the
one he wants to make Chile's capital city.

Concepción is actualle founded in what
is today the zone of Penco,

That's where the "penquista" term comes,
right?

yes, of course.

and when was it founded?

in 1550, and in the following years
Pedro de Valdivia's business seemed to

live a period of gainance,
at least for a moment

Two years after 'Concepción', he founds
'Valdivia.'

after that, La imperial, Villarica,
Tucapel's bridges, Arauco, Purén and Angol

the progress gets postponed once they find
a richer laundry than Marga Marga.

The gold... the gold again, and again the
native explotation as well...

obviously

and Lautaro, where's Lautaro?

we'll see

Mapuche village (1553)

today, we are reunited, in this community

there's bad news!

weird foreigners have arrived, to
take our lands away

who are you? where are you from?

I am Lautaro

I was born in valley territory

I've came here

and am in front of you all

with the will to unite against the
foreigners

this is our ancestors' lands

the earth that feeds our children

The Huinca wants to take away from us

our lands, and our liberty

If we gather our forces

we can expell them forever

Expell them Forever!

December, 1553

twelve years after Valdivia's
arrival to Chile

the incidents continue

The spanish are ambushed, and in those
battles,

they discover something concerning

their tested battle tactics have been
assimilated by the Mapuches

Lautaro sets a trap for Valdivia at the
Tucapel fortress

the tropes face eachother, ahd the Spanish
along the yanaconas are massacred.

except for the governer of Chile's
kingdom, who is captured alive.

Tucapel, December, 1553

in that time, Mapuches tended to eat the
enemy's heart

so they could absorb their qualities

this is one of the versions about
Valdivia's death.

there was no written testimony detailing
that moment

After the conqueror's death, Lautaro
keeps winning military victories.

Concepción is destroyed. and once the
spanish started to re-populate it,

the city is devastatingly defeated again.

Lautaro is not satisfied with defeating
him in the area. He wants to go beyond

Really ambitious

Imagine their plan is to progress
'til the central valley,

to their homeland, and expell
the spanish men forever.

but for that we need an army

which he doesn't have

of course, the mayority of Mapuches refuse
to go north because they got their lands

I don't get why no one supports him...

the only one who does is Caupolicán,

who gives him eight hundred of his
best men to make progress over Santiago

eight hundred...

that's still not enough

(Toqui Lautaro, Mapuche leader and
strategist)

BREAK

Expell them forever!

Lautaro, previous servant of Pedro
de Valdivia,

has gaven death to his former lord,
freeing the Mapuche community

from invasors

(December, 1553)

Then, an ofensive begins with their
main goal as destiny.

to expell the Spanish from Chile

Lautaro progresses willing to defeat and
heir only option is to gather forces with

along all the natives to confront together
the conqueror.

but the exhausted natives doesn't want
any more wars.

because of that, some refrain from
joining his fight, and Lautaro

responds various times with violence

presicely, one of these afected natives

is who reveals the spanish Lautaro's
and his men's location

(Mataquito river, May, 1557)

what did you dram?

In numerical inferiority and accompanied
by Guacolda, his loyal wife,

Lautaro will face in battle his last fight.

(subtitles editor's note: Tvn stands
for National Television)

(Main square, Santiago, 1557)

Lautaro's death is taken advantage of by
the Spanish.

According to the legend, his head was
exibhited in the center of the main square

Today's actual main square
of Santiago

Inés Zuarez survives more than
thirty years more than Pedro de Valdivia.

She becomes some sort of first Lady,
and enjoys a big fortune.

Inés Zuares' remainings remain along her
second husband's,

buried under the
Iglesia de la Merced's church

and what happens to the gold washers?
do they run out of it?

No, there's still gold, but the spanish
lacks the workforce to exploit it

that's why they need to find a new source.

perhaps some non-traditional
exportation?

Exactly.

human beings...

yes, but we'll see that story later.

Thank you for watching, 3/4s from this
episode were subbed by Maria Valenzuela

so the english community can learn more
about south american culture,

and pass it to the current generation and
beyond, so these people keep on living

along their stories in American history.

Thank you for your attention.
-María José Valenzuela