Belize History

Belize is a small nation in Central America bordering Mexico, Guatemala and the Caribbean Sea, belonging to the best-known of the classical civilizations of Mesoamerica. The Maya originated in Yucatan, Mexico around 600 B.C. spreading over Belize between 1500 B.C. and A.D. 300, and flourishing until about AD 900.

The Mayans were in control of Belize until the arrival of the Spaniards to the Americas. During the second voyage of Columbus to the new Continent, he heard of Yucatan, referred as a distant country of clothed men, but it was not until his fifth voyage, between 1503 and 1504, when he encountered near south-west of Cuba, a canoe of Indians with cotton clothing for barter, saying they came from the ancient Mayan civilization.

After Hernan Cortes conquered the Aztec empire between 1519 and 1521, his lieutenant, Pedro de Alvarado was sent to defeat the Maya in Yucatan, but the Spanish never had lasting control over the Maya in Belize. By that time Belize's population was estimated to be at least 400,000 inhabitants, but after the decline, the population was greatly reduced and 86 per cent of the remaining Belize Mayans died after coming into contact with the Spanish, either killed in war, or dying from new European diseases brought by the conquerors.

Shortly after, when more and more Europeans moved to the new colonies, Belize’s first settlement was established in 1638 near the Bay of Honduras, by buccaneers pirates and British adventurers that lived in rough camps. It is believed that the founder of this early settlement was a pirate named Wallace, later derived as Belize from the Spanish pronunciation, but being unclear the origin of the name, another theory says it may come from the Maya word belix, which means "muddy water", applied to the Belize River.

Conflicts between the British and the Spanish over the right of the settlement were frequent, and the Spanish attacked the settlement many times during the 18th century but they never settled in Belize, so the British returned and expanded their settlements growing into a de-facto colony of the United Kingdom.

In the early 19th century, Belize was known by the name of British Honduras. In 1847, the Mexican Government's difficulties with the United States made the surviving Mayans break out in general rebellion: By then, arms and ammunition for the rising were freely supplied to the Mexican Mayas by the British traders of Belize.

In 1860, the Mexican Colonel Acereto, with 3,000 men occupied Chan-Santa-Cruz, which today is Felipe Carrillo Puerto in the state of Quintana Roo, near Cancun. Acereto was compelled and the war of extermination continued, with savage atrocities, through 1864 leaving Mayans still un-subdued and well supplied with arms and munitions of war from Belize, which became a Crown Colony in 1862.

The 20th century brought workers' movements in the Caribbean that began to challenge the colonial system during the 1930's and 1940's, the same as the World War II that made it possible for many countries to become independent. In 1947, India won its independence from the United Kingdom motivating Belize inhabitants to fight for their own independence.

In 1961, Hurricane Hattie inflicted significant damage upon Belize and the government decided to move the capital to a new city located at the exact geographic center of the country. However before it occurred, British Honduras became a self-governing colony in January 1964, adopting back the name of Belize in June 1973, and passing into history as the last British colony on the American mainland.

Throughout Belize's history, Guatemala claimed ownership of all or part of its territory, the reason why it was not until September 1981 when George Price led the country to full independence after many delays caused by territorial disputes with Guatemala, which did not recognize the country until 1992.