The declaration of Independence on September 18, 1810 was the prelude to a series of changes that unfolded in Chile throughout the nineteenth century: following the initial revolution of Independence, the newly victorious patriots were defeated in Rancagua by pro-Spanish forces, who reinstated the Iberian regime. Years later, in 1818, continuous conflict led to the Battle of Maipú and the final victory of the Independence movement. The long-lived confrontation had startling consequences for the population of the time, who stirred from its apparent colonial dream. Shootings, crossings from either side of the cordillera, exile, and banishment were the visible effects of an agitated time that would continue to escalate to social and political agitation and civil war.