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Primary sourceDocument8 August 1818

Provisional Constitution for the State of Chile of 1818

Bernardo O'Higgins · 8 August 1818

The 1818 constitution promulgated by Bernardo O'Higgins, granting the Supreme Director broad powers over the new state.

O'Higgins promulgated this constitution, which organized the new state around his powers as Supreme Director.

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What it is

This is the provisional constitution promulgated on 8 August 1818 under Bernardo O'Higgins as Supreme Director of Chile. It opens by declaring the natural rights of men in society, such as security, honor, liberty and civil equality, before setting out the structure of government.

Why it matters

The constitution shows how O'Higgins tried to organize the young republic while still fighting a war of independence. By granting the Supreme Director sweeping powers, it reveals both his ambition to build strong, stable government and the tensions this created with others who wanted more limits on executive authority.

Look closer

  • Why might a new nation at war choose to concentrate power in one leader rather than share it widely?
  • What rights does the document promise, and who might have been excluded from them in practice?
  • How might this constitution have shaped later conflicts over O'Higgins' rule?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Bernardo O'Higgins on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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