Baltimore incident

The Baltimore incident was a serious event involving the United States and Chile in 1891, shortly after the Chilean civil war. The U.S. minister to Chile granted political asylum to supporters of the defeated president, José Manuel Balmaceda. This action, coupled with existing tensions, led to animosity toward North Americans. On October 16, 1891, sailors from the U.S. cruiser USS Baltimore were attacked by a mob in Valparaíso. Two sailors were killed, and several were seriously wounded. Although Chile maintained the sailors were at fault, they offered an indemnity of $75,000 to the families of the deceased, averting war.1