Today in Labor History December 23, 1598: During the Arauco War, Chief Pelantaru led the Mapuches in the Battle of Curalaba. During the battle, they killed Martín García Óñez de Loyola, Governor of Chile, as well as nearly every other person fighting with the Spaniards. The victory led to a general Mapuche uprising that resulted in the Destruction of the Seven Cities and the end of the era of conquest. For the Spanish, it also meant the loss of the main gold mining centers in the south and the loss of their main source of indigenous labor. From then on, they heavily colonized and exploited the central part of Chile, creating a military border between themselves and the Mapuches to the south.

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