First Chilean National Congress

First Chilean National Congress
Inaugural session of the Congress
Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago
Chambers	Unicameralism
History
Founded	Palacio de la Real Audiencia de Santiago
Disbanded	December 2, 1811
Preceded by	Without Legislative Body
Succeeded by	1812 Senate, Chile
Leadership
President	Joaquín Echeverría Larraín Juan Pablo Fretes Fray Joaquín Larraín Juan Cerdán Campaña Manuel Pérez de Cotapos Martín Calvo Encalada Juan Antonio Ovalle Juan Martínez de Rozas
Structure
Seats	40 deputies (owners)
Political groups	Royalist   Indifferent party   Patriot party

The First Chilean National Congress was the first legislative body established in Chile. It was inaugurated on July 4, 1811, being one of the oldest congresses in Latin America. It was convened to decide the best kind of government for the Kingdom of Chile during the captivity of King Ferdinand VII in the hands of Napoleon. It was in session from July 4 until December 2, when it was dissolved by a coup d'état by General José Miguel Carrera.

With an initial moderate tendency, through the coup d'état of September 4, hegemony was handed over to the so-called radical or patriotic sector, who imposed during the course of the Congress various reforms, such as the law of freedom of womb, or prepared the bases for future transformations, such as the law of cemeteries or the reform of education, which also included the beginning of a process of drafting a constitution, which, due to the closure of the Congress, did not come to fruition.