Download file 502 KB Texto completo en español More of: Iván  Jaksic Sol  Serrano

This article outlines the great milestones in liberal political thought and action in Chile during the 19th century. The authors underscore that the strong emphasis on the division of powers of the State and the progressive erosion in the powers of the Executive Branch led to an amplification of the freedoms traditionally associated with liberalism: individual rights, freedom of association, freedom of the press, wider suffrage and broader electorate, freedom of education and religious tolerance. Also stressed is the liberal element in conservative political thought and action. It is argued that there was a greater intellectual and political consensus about reforms to the political system than what historiography reveals. Finally, the role that religious conflict had in shaping the different features of Chilean liberalism is discussed.