The Girondins of Chile deals with events that were inspired by the French Revolution of 1848 and offers a shrewd description of the emerging group of Chilean liberals. Vicuña MacKenna participated in the uprising of 1851, yet his book on the events was not published until 1902.

T"he Girondins of Chile tells of the strong influence that the European revolutions of 1848 had in Chile, and how they motivated a young Santiago society with high cultural aspirations but little political knowledge or direction. Benjamin Vicuna Mackenna, a Chilean writer and historian who lived during those days in Santiago relates the events of the time, events in which he was a participant. He pays special attention to how the "1848" revolutions influenced a group of young liberals he called "Chilean Girondins." When revolution came to Santiago in 1851, Vicuna Mackenna found even himself sentenced to death for taking part in the uprising. He escaped, spent some years in exile, and was able to return in 1855. He remained active in politics, yet his account of what happened to the "Chilean Girondins" in the 1851-2 revolution was not published until 1876.