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Peru was declared an independent nation by Jose de San Martin in
1821, and in 1824 Simon Bolivar put an end to the War of Independence.
However, despite efforts to organize the young Peruvian republic,
in the nineteenth century the country had to face up to the
cost of the struggle: a tough economic crisis and a tradition
of military strongmen who gave civilians little chance to
govern.
By 1860, thanks to income from guano, cotton and sugar, Peru
was able to do without enforced labor imposed on the indigenous
population and African slaves alike. Chinese and European
immigrants swelled the workforce and integrated with Peru's
society. The country was linked up by a railway network, and
during the mandate of President Manuel Pardo, Peru organized
its first civilian government. The first Japanese immigrants
were to arrive at the end of the nineteenth century.
But in 1879, the country found itself at war with Chile. Peru
was defeated and left bankrupt. After another spell of military
regimes, Peru returned to civilian rule, giving rise to a
time called "the Aristocratic Republic". The economy
was dominated by the land-owning elite, and an export-oriented
model imposed. The success of the rubber boom lent fresh splendor
to the myth of El Dorado.
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