|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Between the Andes and the Sea
Chile's remarkable profile—its narrowness, coupled with an interminable coastline that, if it were transferred to the Northern Hemisphere, would stretch from Panama to Alaska—is distinctive in the world. This outrageous length links climatic extremes, from the bone-dry desert north to the rainy, glacier-gouged south, but the brunt of Chile's population has always clustered in the middle, around Santiago and the central valley, with its Mediterranean climate so suitable for the country's famous wines. The Andes that divide Chile from Argentina have not left much imprint on Chilean national life. The sea has been much more important. Following independence in 1810, Chile's colonial isolation ended abruptly with the steady arrival of ships from several trading nations of the North Atlantic. Chile's relative prosperity began early in its national history and allowed, among other things, the consolidation of political stability there long before other Spanish American republics were able to achieve it. The compactness of its main area of settlement spared Chile the regional conflict that afflicted so many other Latin American countries in the 1800s. Only the city of Concepción, at the southern end of the central valley, occasionally constituted a political rival to Santiago, at the northern end. Chile's strong state gave it the upper hand in two nineteenth-century wars against Peru and Bolivia, expanding Chilean territory and national pride. By the mid twentieth century, the Chilean political system was a model for Latin America. The 1973 military coup and the subsequent seventeen-year dictatorship tarnished the model, but the country's strong economic growth after 1985 helped establish the prestige of the neoliberal economic formula throughout the continent.
Topics:
Themes:
Questions for Analysis and Further Reflection:
- How did the meeting of Spaniards and Araucanos play out in comparison to the encounter of Indians and Europeans farther to the north, in Peru?
- What drove the Chilean economy in the late nineteenth century, leading the country to prosperity but also to war and the origins of what would later become strong labor movements?
- The neoliberal economic formula in Chile, as in other Latin American countries, has resulted in uneven prosperity, dimming the prestige of the formula. What are some illustrations of the declining prestige of neoliberalism?
Country Bibliography: (Titles with ** are good starting places.)
Bethell, Leslie, ed. Chile Since Independence. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993.
This edited volume of essays brings together parts of the Cambridge History of Latin America in a format that is more manageable and useful for students. The essays are scholarly treatments of Chilean economic, social, and political history since independence.
** Collier, Simon, and William F. Sater. A History of Chile: 1808—1994. New York:
Cambridge University Press, 1996.
This historical survey is well-written and very appropriate for the undergraduate student, despite the fact that it is slightly longer than the other histories noted here. Collier and Sater concentrate primarily on independent Chile—since the early nineteenth century—but they also include a chapter on geography and the colonial foundations of Chile. A bibliographical essay, organized thematically, suggests accessible books in English for further reading.
Hickman, John. News from the End of the Earth: A Portrait of Chile. London: Hurst & Co.,
1998.
Hickman offers a succinct political history of Chile targeted at a broad audience of nonspecialists. Three quarters of the book deal with the economic history and Chilean politics in the second half of the twentieth century. Includes illustrations, maps, and a selection of further readings grouped by topic/field.
Kinsbrunner, Jay. Chile: A Historical Interpretation. Crosscurrents in Latin America. New
York: Harper and Row, 1973.
Kinsbrunner offers a framework for understanding colonial capitalism, the rise of liberalism in the nineteenth century, and other concepts that will be helpful for students to get the "big picture" of Chilean history up through the mid twentieth century. Note, however, that the book was written before the 1973 coup, making it less useful for students whose interests are largely contemporary.
** Loveman, Brian. Chile: The Legacy of Hispanic Capitalism, 3rd ed. Latin American
Histories. New York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Like the other Latin American histories of the Oxford series, Loveman's is a remarkably thorough yet very readable survey of Chile from colonization up through 2001. Many maps and tables are included throughout the text, and a political timeline and clearly organized guide to further reading follow the narrative.
** Rector, John L. The History of Chile. Greenwood Histories of the Modern Nations.
Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2003.
Another overview of Chilean history for the undergraduate student. While there are no illustrations or tables, and only one map, there are helpful suggested readings for each chapter, a glossary of Spanish terms, a timeline, and a brief list and description of important Chilean figures.
Villalobos R., Sergio. A Short History of Chile. Edited by John D. Chadburn. Santiago, Chile:
Editorial Universitaria, 1996.
A concise and useful account by a Chilean historian.
Maps:
|
|
|
W. W. Norton | Credits | Site Feedback | Technical Support | Print This Page