page_title: Ramón Freire
section_title: As Supreme Director
hierarchical_section_title: Ramón Freire / As Supreme Director
caption_attribution_description: Español: Retrato del General Coronel Don Ramón Freire
context_page_description: Ramón Freire Serrano was a Chilean political figure. He was head of state on several occasions, and enjoyed a numerous following until the War of the Confederation. Ramón Freire was one of the principal leaders of the liberal Pipiolo movement. He has been praised by historian Gabriel Salazar as the most democratic leader of the early republican period in Chile.
context_section_description: After the resignation of O'Higgins, he became the new Supreme Director, a position he held from April 4, 1823 (when he was named by the Junta de Representantes that replaced O'Higgins) until July 9, 1826.  After a brief interlude, he returned to the office on January 25, 1827. His new resignation on February 5, 1827 was not accepted, and he was elected President on February 15 of the same year. He resigned again on the following May 5, 1827.
  During his administration he promoted some initiatives of enormous impact, such as the abolition of slavery, the reorganization of the defense system of the port of Valparaíso, and opening Chilean markets to world commerce. He also highlighted the freedom of the press and ordered all convents and monasteries to open free schools.
  On December 29, 1823 he promulgated a new constitution, based on the project presented by Juan Egaña. Considered a highly moralistic document, it reflected the idea that the very essence of the people can be changed by its laws. It tried to regulate both the public and private conduct of the citizens. Such approach very soon proved impracticable, and the Constitution was abandoned after only six months.
  Since the Chilean treasury was exhausted by the independence wars, and heavily mortgaged by the first foreign loan, contracted with British banks, Freire created a government monopoly (estanco) over tobacco, alcohols, cards and tax paper, same that was assigned to Portales, Cea and Co. and turned in a huge fiasco. This affair marked the first involvement in public government of the future universal minister, Diego Portales.
  He also completed the independence of the whole territory when he captured Chiloé Island, which was still held by Spain. After failed military campaigns in 1824 that ended in defeat at Mocopulli, and the 1826 battles of Pudeto and Bellavista, he signed the Treaty of Tantauco, in which Spain definitively renounced claims to that area.
caption: Portrait of Freire.
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