In 1655, the Mapuche launched a massive revolt against Spanish rule in Chile
Facing relentless colonial expansion, the Mapuche people of Chile orchestrated a massive, synchronized uprising in 1655 that forced the Spanish Empire into a rare and humiliating retreat.
On February 14, 1655, the Mapuche people launched a coordinated strike against Spanish settlers and fortifications across southern Chile. Led by the strategist Alejo, the revolutionaries destroyed hundreds of Spanish estates and forced the colonial frontier back to the Biobio River.
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