Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Pages: 31. Chapters: Adolfo Ibanez, Agustin Edwards Mac Clure, Alejandro Foxley, Alfredo Moreno Charme, Andres Bello, Anibal Zanartu, Antonio Jose de Irisarri, Carlos Aldunate Solar, Clodomiro Almeyda, Diego Portales, Domingo Santa Maria, Eliodoro Yanez, Emilio Bello, Enrique Cood, Enrique Silva Cimma, Francisco Antonio Pinto, Francisco Ramon Vicuna, Gabriel Valdes, German Ignacio Riesco, Ismael Huerta, Jaime de Zudanez, Jose Manuel Balmaceda, Jose Miguel Insulza, Jose Tadeo Mancheno, Juan Jose Latorre, Luis Barros Borgono, Manuel Antonio Matta, Manuel Camilo Vial, Manuel Montt, Manuel Rodriguez Erdoiza, Marcial Mora, Orlando Letelier, Patricio Carvajal, Rafael Sotomayor Gaete, Rafael Tarud, Rafael Valentin Errazuriz, Ramon Briones Luco, Rene Rojas Galdames, Soledad Alvear, Ventura Blanco Encalada. Excerpt: Diego Jose Pedro Victor Portales y Palazuelos (June 16, 1793 - June 6, 1837) was a Chilean statesman and entrepreneur. As a minister of president Jose Joaquin Prieto Diego Portales played a pivotal role in shaping the state and government politics in the 19th century, delivering with the Constitution of 1833 the framework of the Chilean state for almost a century. Portales influential political stance included unitarianism, presidentialism and conservatism which led to consolidate Chile as a constitutional authoritarian republic with democracy restricted to include only the upper class. While deeply unpopular during his lifetime the murder of Portales in 1837 during a mutiny has been judged a decisive factor during the War of the Confederation by switching Chilean public opinion to support the war against the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. Escudo de la Familia PortalesDiego Portales was born in Santiago, the son of Maria Encarnacion Fernandez de Palazuelos y Martinez de Aldunate and Jose Santiago Portales y Larrain, a superintendent of the royal mint. He did his primary studies at the Colegio de Santiago, and in 1813, attended law classes at the National Institute. As the men of his family had all become successful merchants, Portales also eventually assumed the position of a merchant, taking part in his prosperous and distinguished family's occupation. On August 15, 1819 he married his cousin, Josefa Portales y Larrain. He had two daughters with her, both of whom died within days of their birth. His wife died also very soon in 1821. He never remarried after that, but took Constanza Nordenflicht as his mistress, with whom he had three children. In July 1821, he resigned his job at the Mint and went into business. He opened a trading house, Portales, Cea and Co., based in Valparaiso with a branch in Lima, Peru. He bid and obtained the management of the government monopoly on tobacco, tea, and liquor (known in Spanish as estanco). In exchange for the monopoly, he offere