When the Future Was in Patagonia

When the Future Was in Patagonia
 Author: Alejandro Fernández Beros
 Publisher: San Sebastián University Press
 Number of pages: 276
 REVIEW:
 Within the framework of Chilean historiography, the history of Magallanes is quite exceptional. Given that it is a territory whose incorporation into the Republic occurred after independence from Spain and which acquired political rights less than a century ago, one might think there is little to say about this region, geographically disconnected from the rest of Chile; especially considering that Punta Arenas maintained a precarious existence as a penal colony and was the site of two violent and destructive insurrections during this period: the Cambiazo Mutiny in 1851 and the Artillerymen's Mutiny in 1877. Nevertheless, from the 1860s onward, technological advancements in navigation, communications, and refrigeration enabled development that, initially focused on maritime activities and later on sheep farming, fueled an unprecedented boom that extended into the first or second decade of the 20th century. Over the last ninety years, a remarkable amount of literature on regional history has accumulated from various perspectives. This book is the first to address this history from an economic perspective, providing a different view, but one that corroborates the perception that the period 1860-1930 was characterized by an exceptional development that still resonates in the memory of the people of Magallanes.