Valdivia Wins at Penco: Spanish Expand South
Pedro de Valdivia's small force of Spanish and indigenous troops defeated a Mapuche army that outnumbered them roughly a hundred to one at the Battle of Penco. Despite the lopsided victory, the Mapuche resistance continued for over three centuries, making the Arauco War the longest sustained military conflict in the Americas.
March 12, 1550
476 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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