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Trade, Progress, and Patriotism

Defining Valparaíso, Chile, 1818-1875

Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology, Terre Haute, Indiana

Valparaíso, Chile, defined itself as a relatively autonomous, cosmopolitan port city during the nineteenth century. As the leading Pacific port in South America, it played a key role in the Chilean economy. A strong foreign presence, rapid growth, and omnipresent commerce accompanied local prosperity. Local leaders sought the latest urban technologies to bring "progress"—essentially, to mitigate problems created by rapid growth. Although Valparaíso's mercantile elite favored practical solutions rather than the Haussmann-esque urban renewal seen in Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, and Santiago de Chile, the city tackled planning challenges aggressively and succeeded notably in some areas. It successfully negotiated tensions over its residents' dual allegiances to the Chilean state and to international trading communities until the early twentieth century. At that point, political centralization in Chile subordinated Valparaíso to Santiago's power while economic and transportation changes diminished its importance as an entrepot and the city's cosmopolitan identity receded.

Key Words: Valparaíso • Chile • ideology of progress • urban technology • port cities • urban planning

This version was published on November 1, 2008

Journal of Urban History, Vol. 35, No. 1, 53-74 (2008)
DOI: 10.1177/0096144208321876


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