The Huilliches of Chiloé had already taken action against their Spanish lords back in 1600. In that year a group helped the Dutch corsair Baltazar de Cordes attack the Spanish settlement of Castro. Unlike in continental Chile, the indigenous population of Chiloé grew from 1700 onwards. By 1712 indigenous peoples made up around 50% of the population of the archipelago. The encomiendas of Chiloé were the largest of Chile and the administration of this form of labor more abusive than on the mainland. Moreover, the encomenderos did not fulfill their obligations; they did not register tribute nor salaries. Encomenderos often did not pay legal salaries or salaries at all and did not observe the "free time" of Indians in the encomienda laws. The encomienda activities in Chiloé included the Indians traveling to the continental coast to log for alerce wood. In retrospect, the Huilliches considered the abuses of José de Andrade a trigger of the rebellion, one of his abuses in particular: the whipping of Martín Antucan, an Indian he tied to an apple tree and to then flogged his genitals with nettles to be then covered in tow and set afire. According to testimonies gathered in 1725 José de Andrade judged wrongdoings himself, did not pay salaries and tortured those who did not work due to illness. His son is reported to have had similar behaviors and his majordomo kidnapped children to send them to continental Chile. During a meeting on January 26 of 1712 the Huilliches set February 10 as the date of their uprising. The objective of the rebellion was not the end of Spanish rule but vengeance for perceived injustices.
What was the Huilliches catalyst for rebelling?
abuses of José de Andrade