Santiago Arcos (1822–1874) was a

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

an journalist, politician and writer. He wrote a treatise ''La cuestion de los indios: las fonteras y los indios'' (1860), that called for military action against indigenous people.

Early life

Arcos was the fourth and last son of Spanish-born businessman and revolutionary military engineer Antonio Arcos and Isabel Petronila Arlegui Rodriguez. After the fall of

Bernardo O'Higgins Bernardo O'Higgins Riquelme (; August 20, 1778 – October 24, 1842) was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry. Althou ...

in 1823, Arcos' parents fled to Paris, eventually establishing a financial concern.

Return to Chile

Not satisfied with life in France, Arcos defies his father's wishes and becomes involved in revolutionary politics, eventually returning to Chile through the United States and becoming involved with the reformist elements in

Valparaíso Valparaíso (; ) is a major city, seaport, naval base, and educational centre in the commune of Valparaíso, Chile. "Greater Valparaíso" is the second largest metropolitan area in the country. Valparaíso is located about northwest of Santiago ...

. Following the

Revolutions of 1848 The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...

, his father eventually followed him in returning to Chile, establishing Chile's first bank. However, the bank's existence was short lived, closing in 1850 following government pressure. Arcos refused to return to Europe with his father and eventually co-founded the Sociedad de Igualidad, a revolutionary organization that helped spearhead the

1851 Chilean Revolution The Revolution of 1851 (or Civil War of 1851) was an attempt by Chilean liberals to overthrow the conservative government of president Manuel Montt and repeal the Chilean Constitution of 1833. After various battles and sieges, by late December 18 ...

. Eventually, Arcos fled to Peru and later to Argentina, trying to aid revolutionary efforts in Chile from afar.

Later life

Arcos would return to Paris in 1865 after years of revolutionary activity in South America. After being diagnosed with throat cancer, Arcos committed suicide by drowning himself in the

River Seine ) , mouth_location = Le Havre/Honfleur , mouth_coordinates = , mouth_elevation = , progression = , river_system = Seine basin , basin_size = , tributaries_left = Yonne, Loing, Eure, Risle , tributarie ...

in January 1869.

Works

* ''Cuentos de tierra adentro o extracto de los apuntes de un viajero'', 1849 * ''L'utilité de vaincre dans les localités de la République Argentine'' * ''Les frontières et les Indiens'' * ''La Plata, une étude historique'', 1865 * ''Sociabilidad chilena''

References

External links

Santiago Arcos, tribute website
1822 births 1874 deaths Chilean journalists Politicians from Santiago 19th-century journalists Male journalists 19th-century Chilean male writers Suicides by drowning in France {{Chile-journalist-stub