After the destruction of the Inca empire Peru became a Spanish viceroy. The Spanish took much of the land and the natives were made to work on it. Other natives were made to work silver mines where they died in their thousands. Furthermore European diseases such as smallpox, to which they had no resistance, decimated the natives. So the Spaniards brought African slaves to replace them.

The Spaniards also tried to convert the natives to Christianity. However the natives kept their old religion under a Christian veneer.

Independent Peru

in the late 18th century there were native rebellions in Peru. although none were successful discontent continued to simmer. Furthermore the British colonies in North America provided an example of how colonists could break free from the parent country. Later the ideas of the French Revolution reached Peru. Finally the Spanish colonies in South America rebelled.

In 1820 General Jose de San Martin landed on the coast with 5,000 Argentinean and Chilean soldiers. He occupied Lima and he declared Peruvian independence on 28 July 1821. The royalist fought on but they were crushed at the battle of Ayacucho on 9 December 1824.

There followed decades of political instability in Peru. However for most of the period 1845-1862 General Raman Castilla was president of Peru and he restored order. Under his rule Peru prospered by selling guano (bird droppings used as fertiliser). The first railway in Peru was built in 1851 and the African slaves were freed. However by 1880 the guano supply was running out.

Then between 1879 and 1883 Peru fought a war with Chile over deposits of sodium nitrate. It was called the War of the Pacific and it ended in humiliation for Peru. By the treaty of Ancon in 1883 Peru was forced to surrender territory to Chile.

In 1885 General Andres Caceres became dictator of Peru. He ruled until 1895 when Nicolas de Pierola led a revolution.

Modern Peru

Under Présidents Pierola (1895-1899), Jose Pardo (1904-1908) and Guillermo Billinghurst (1912-1914) Peru prospered. Exports of sugar and cotton boomed. Peru also exported oil and rubber. More railways were built and factories opened.

The urban working class grew and in 1919 trade unions held two general strikes to demand an 8 hour day.

Augusto Leguia was president from 1908-1912 and he came to power again in 1919. He ruled for eleven years. This period is called the Oncenio from the word once, meaning eleven.

However the depression of the 1930s meant demand for Peru's exports slumped and the country faced an economic crisis. In August 1930 Leguia was deposed by a military coup.

Then in 1924 Victor Raul Haya de la Torre founded the American Popular Revolutionary Alliance (APRA). In 1931 Haya de la Torre stood for president. Sanchez Cerro beat him but APRA claimed the election was fraudulent. Virtual civil war began between APRA and the government. Sanchez Cerro was assassinated in 1933. He was succeeded by General Oscar Benavides.

In 1948 the army led another coup and General Manuel Odria came to power. He ruled until 1956 when Manuel Prado became president.

In 1963 Fernando Belaunde became president. However in 1968 the army staged another coup. General Juan Velasco took power.

The new government nationalised many industries and reformed agriculture. However by 1975 Peru was suffering from inflation, unemployment and a growing public debt. In August 1975 General Francisco Morales Bermudez replaced Velasco in another coup. However in 1980 elections for a president were held.

Unfortunately from 1976 onwards Peru suffered terrorist attacks from the Sendero Luminoso (shining path). However in September 1990 Abimael Guzman the leader of Sendero was captured.

In 1992.Alberto Fujimori became president. He managed to tame inflation. Fujimori resigned in November 2000.

Alan Garcia was elected president of Peru in 2006.

Today although poverty persists the Peruvian economy is gorwing steadily.

Today the population of Peru is 28 million.

To read about Pre-Inca Peru click here.

Last revised 2006

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