Belize - Revision history

Nasr: fixed wording

2025-11-11T23:18:17Z

fixed wording

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:18, 11 November 2025
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	Due to the growing wool industry in [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]], the dye from the native logwood ensured the [[Piracy\|pirates]] stayed and established permanent settlements, the pirates transitioned from piracy and focused on the logwood and mahogany trade. Due to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] never effectively settling the Belize region or controlling the area though things changed when Spanish noticed the presence of the British pirates and started repeatedly attacking these British settlements.<ref name=":10">{{Citation\|author=Cameron J. G. Dodge\|year=2024\|title=From Piracy to Mechanization: The Atlantic Logwood Trade, 1550–1775\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/from-piracy-to-mechanization-the-atlantic-logwood-trade-15501775/45B0FCE2C9850515AB4F17B2FB459C45\|doi=10.1017/S0165115324000238}}</ref>		Due to the growing wool industry in [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]], the dye from the native logwood ensured the [[Piracy\|pirates]] stayed and established permanent settlements, the pirates transitioned from piracy and focused on the logwood and mahogany trade. Due to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] never effectively settling the Belize region or controlling the area though things changed when Spanish noticed the presence of the British pirates and started repeatedly attacking these British settlements.<ref name=":10">{{Citation\|author=Cameron J. G. Dodge\|year=2024\|title=From Piracy to Mechanization: The Atlantic Logwood Trade, 1550–1775\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/from-piracy-to-mechanization-the-atlantic-logwood-trade-15501775/45B0FCE2C9850515AB4F17B2FB459C45\|doi=10.1017/S0165115324000238}}</ref>
	[[File:St. George's Caye.webp\|thumb\|Stamp from British Honduras (now Belize) ~~and~~ commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of St. George's Caye.]]		[[File:St. George's Caye.webp\|thumb\|Stamp from British Honduras (now Belize) that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of St. George's Caye.]]
	As the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] government was initially afraid to recognize these settlements as a [[Colonialism\|colony]] due to fear of repercussions from the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]], this led the British settlers to establish their own governance which was called [[the Public Meeting]]. Eventually the Spanish made concessions with the British and allowed them to harvest the logwood and mahogany in Belize but specifically within specific boundaries and explicitly stated Spanish sovereignty. <ref>{{Citation\|author=David M. Gomez\|year=2021\|title=Canals and Borders: The Dynamics of British Expansion in Central America and the Anglo-Guatemalan Territorial Dispute over Belize, c.1821-1863\|title-url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf\|pdf=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf}}</ref>		As the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] government was initially afraid to recognize these settlements as a [[Colonialism\|colony]] due to fear of repercussions from the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]], this led the British settlers to establish their own governance which was called [[the Public Meeting]]. Eventually the Spanish made concessions with the British and allowed them to harvest the logwood and mahogany in Belize but specifically within specific boundaries and explicitly stated Spanish sovereignty. <ref>{{Citation\|author=David M. Gomez\|year=2021\|title=Canals and Borders: The Dynamics of British Expansion in Central America and the Anglo-Guatemalan Territorial Dispute over Belize, c.1821-1863\|title-url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf\|pdf=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf}}</ref>

Nasr: pictures

2025-11-11T23:11:11Z

pictures

Show changes

Nasr: added neo-colonialism period or rather current period of belize

2025-11-10T23:50:57Z

added neo-colonialism period or rather current period of belize

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:50, 10 November 2025
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	==== Neocolonialism ====		==== Neocolonialism ====
			[[Independence]] didn’t change much for the working Belizean, as the [[Comprador\|compradors]] in power ensured that Belize remained dependent on [[Investment\|foreign investment]] and international financial institutions like the [[International Monetary Fund\|IMF]] and the [[The World Bank\|World Bank]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=Victor Bulmer Thomas\|year=2020\|title=Performance, Structure and Policy in the Belize Economy\|title-url=https://www.redalyc.org/journal/152/15264516012/}}</ref>

			Belize's largest [[Economics\|economic]] sector is the tourism industry, similar to other Caribbean [[Colonialism\|colonies]], and like those colonies, tourism within these countries is fully dependent on foreign capital. Belize is fully [[Neocolonialism\|neo-colonized]] through [[debt]] management schemes and policy demands from these financial institutions. Despite the tourism sector being Belize’s largest sector, most of the [[profit]] made by these foreign-owned companies leaves the country, ensuring that Belize is perpetually [[Exploitation\|exploited]] despite its supposed independence.<ref>{{Web citation\|newspaper=International Monetary Fund\|title=Belize: Selected Issues\|url=https://www.imf.org/en/-/media/files/publications/cr/2019/1blizea2019002.pdf}}</ref>

			This foreign investment also makes the [[Economics\|economy]] very fragile, as any external shock, market fluctuation, or loss of tourist interest can devastate it. An example of this occurred in 2020, during [[COVID-19 pandemic\|COVID-19]], when Belize’s economy shrank by 15% due to the pandemic alone. Most of these “shocks” primarily harmed the locals in Belize, while foreign companies could easily recover, leaving the locals to experience widespread [[poverty]]. As these foreign entities concentrate wealth and exploit the land, they monopolize these sectors and prevent any natives from establishing themselves.<ref>{{Web citation\|newspaper=The International Monetary Fund\|title=Belize: Staff Concluding Statement of the 2020 Article IV Mission\|date=2021\|url=https://www.imf.org/en/news/articles/2021/03/12/mcs031221-belize-staff-concluding-statement-of-the-2020-article-iv-mission}}</ref>

			The [[International Monetary Fund\|IMF]] and [[the World Bank]] add salt to the wound by offering loans in exchange for [[Neoliberalism\|neoliberal]] policies that harm the [[Proletariat\|working class]] and ensure that Belize remains [[Dependency\|dependent]] on countries in the [[imperial core]]. As Belize faces extremely high levels of [[debt]], the IMF can demand any policy change that benefits the interests of [[Imperialism\|imperialists]], aided by the [[compradors]] and the debt burden.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Doucouliagos & Paldam\|title=How structural adjustment programs affect inequality: A disaggregated analysis of IMF conditionality, 1980‑2014 (2019)\|title-url=https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30955563/}}</ref>

			On top of that, the second-largest sector, [[agriculture]], serves the same function it did during the [[British Honduras]] period, providing sugar, bananas, and citrus exclusively for the [[United States of America\|U.S]]. and the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|U.K]]. Due to a lack of diversification and reliance on these two [[Imperialism\|imperialist]] countries, Belize remains completely dependent on its former [[Colonialism\|colonizer]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=Quan, Azucena\|year=1987\|title=Agricultural Crop Diversification in Belize'\|title-url=https://ageconsearch.umn.edu/record/260352}}</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==

Nasr: Finished British Honduras section

2025-11-10T12:20:09Z

Finished British Honduras section

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:20, 10 November 2025
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	Workers were paid in company scrip instead of cash, which could only be used at company-owned stores. These stores sold poor-quality food like “mess pork,” trapping workers in a cycle of debt and malnutrition.<ref>{{Citation\|author=K. M. Pemberton\|year=2017\|title=Land Use and Society in British Honduras / Belize}}</ref>		Workers were paid in company scrip instead of cash, which could only be used at company-owned stores. These stores sold poor-quality food like “mess pork,” trapping workers in a cycle of debt and malnutrition.<ref>{{Citation\|author=K. M. Pemberton\|year=2017\|title=Land Use and Society in British Honduras / Belize}}</ref>

			In 1934, [[Strike action\|labor demonstrations]], strikes, and riots erupted in response to colonial [[Slavery\|enslavement]] and oppression. Around this time, a working-class organization called the [[Labourers and Unemployed Association]] emerged, founded by [[Antonio Soberanis Gómez]]. The organization demanded proper wages and jobs for the unemployed. Due to these labor demonstrations, Antonio Soberanis Gómez was arrested for agitation, but his arrest only sparked more strikes and riots.<ref>{{Citation\|author=P. D. Ashdown\|year=1978\|title=Antonio Soberanis and the Disturbances in Belize, 1934–1935\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40653360\|pdf=https://www.jstor.org/stable/40653360}}</ref>

			This resistance forced the government to make concessions, initially through [[relief work]], but eventually it led to [[Reform\|labor reforms]]. Despite this, the colonial governor refused to legalize [[Trade union\|trade unions]] or introduce a [[minimum wage]]. A decade later, continued demands from the [[proletariat]] forced the government to legalize trade unions by the early 1940s.<ref>{{Citation\|author=R. Seifert\|title=British Labour Movement Responses to Strikes and Riots in the English-speaking West Indies 1934-1939: Solidarity with strings\|title-url=https://exchanges.warwick.ac.uk/index.php/exchanges/article/view/1518}}</ref>

			A cumulative united front of [[Nationalist\|nationalists]] and [[Trade union\|trade unions]], through labor demonstrations and riots, forced [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]] to grant [[universal suffrage]] and internal self-governance, marking the first real step toward independence. After achieving internal self-governance in 1964, the push for independence was guided primarily by the [[People's United Party]] under [[George Cadle Price]], through a [[United Nations]] General Assembly resolution. Only [[Republic of Guatemala\|Guatemala]] opposed Belize’s independence due to territorial claims and ongoing negotiations with Britain. With global international backing and no alternative, Britain had no choice but to grant full independence to Belize.<ref>{{Citation\|title=George Cadle Price and the Consolidation of a Nation\|title-url=https://archivo.revistas.ucr.ac.cr//index.php/anuario/article/view/44357}}</ref>

			Though similar to other colonies, independence doesn’t really mean independence.

			=== Independence ===

			==== Neocolonialism ====

	== References ==		== References ==

Nasr: saving it

2025-11-10T12:02:11Z

saving it

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:02, 10 November 2025
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	==== British Honduras ====		==== British Honduras ====
			The [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] began calling Belize “[[British Honduras]],” and in 1862 it was officially considered a British [[Colonialism\|colony]], as it was initially within the governance of [[Jamaica]]. A significant event that happened during the British Honduras period was the [[Anglo-Mexican Treaty of 1893]], which formally established the boundaries between [[United Mexican States\|Mexico]] and Belize. This was notable because Mexico had claimed parts of Belize as its own territory.<ref>{{Citation\|title=International Boundary Study No. 161\|title-url=https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/LimitsinSeas/pdf/ibs161.pdf\|pdf=https://library.law.fsu.edu/Digital-Collections/LimitsinSeas/pdf/ibs161.pdf}}</ref>

			Due to the British colonialists, Belize became an [[agrarian]] and raw material source for the British Empire, with the Belizean economy dominated by logwood, mahogany extraction, and [[agriculture]]. Over time, however, the British transitioned from forestry to agriculture, and to aid this process, they invited ex-[[Confederate States of America (1861–1865)\|Confederate]] refugees from the [[Statesian Civil War\|American Civil War]] to settle and help with production.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Robert Heinzman, Conrad Reining, Michael J. Balick\|title=Goods from the Woods: The Harvest of Timber and Non-Timber Forest Products in Belize\|title-url=https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/fdscontent/uscompanion/us/static/companion.websites/9780199965762/update/Chapter_5_Online_File.pdf\|pdf=https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/fdscontent/uscompanion/us/static/companion.websites/9780199965762/update/Chapter_5_Online_File.pdf}}</ref>

			In the early 20th century, the [[United Fruit Company]], a [[United States of America\|U.S]]. company, held a complete [[monopoly]] over Belize’s banana industry. These American monopolies impoverished local planters while enabling other monopolies within sectors like timber and chicle. Early U.S. monopolies in Belize facilitated the growth of others through [[capital accumulation]], infrastructure development, and [[Lobbying\|political influence]], creating high barriers to entry for local people.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Mark Moberg\|year=1996\|title=Crown Colony as Banana Republic: The United Fruit Company in British Honduras, 1900‑1920\|title-url=https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/fdscontent/uscompanion/us/static/companion.websites/9780199965762/update/Chapter_5_Online_File.pdf\|pdf=https://global.oup.com/us/companion.websites/fdscontent/uscompanion/us/static/companion.websites/9780199965762/update/Chapter_5_Online_File.pdf}}</ref>

			The people of [[British Honduras]] struggled against colonial oppression and [[United States of America\|U.S]]. and [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] monopolies. What really intensified the struggle, particularly around the 1930s, was the [[Great Depression]] and a devastating hurricane in 1931 that killed over 1,000 people. British colonial land policies allowed the colonialist company known as the [[Belize Estate and Produce Company]] to own one-third of Belize, forcing native people to depend on cheap imported food, which stifled [[Agriculture\|agricultural]] development.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Mendoza, P\|title=An overview of land administration and management in Belize\|title-url=https://terrainstitute.org/carib_workshop/pdf/belizecfs.pdf\|pdf=https://terrainstitute.org/carib_workshop/pdf/belizecfs.pdf}}</ref>

			[[Proletariat\|Workers]] in the mahogany industry were, in practice, [[Slavery\|enslaved]] despite abolition. They were trapped in a cycle of [[debt]] and forced to work in harsh conditions for companies that [[Exploitation\|profited]] from their labor. The [[Master and Servants Act]] was a legal weapon that enabled and enforced a system of debt slavery by criminalizing workers who left their employment while still in debt to their employers.<ref>{{Citation\|author=O. Nigel Bolland\|year=2003\|title=Labour Laws in Belize: Continuity of Bondage after Emancipation\|title-url=https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/05/06/86/00001/MESH_T.pdf\|pdf=https://ufdcimages.uflib.ufl.edu/UF/E0/05/06/86/00001/MESH_T.pdf}}</ref>

			Workers were paid in company scrip instead of cash, which could only be used at company-owned stores. These stores sold poor-quality food like “mess pork,” trapping workers in a cycle of debt and malnutrition.<ref>{{Citation\|author=K. M. Pemberton\|year=2017\|title=Land Use and Society in British Honduras / Belize}}</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==

Nasr: spain vs britain

2025-11-08T21:26:34Z

spain vs britain

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:26, 8 November 2025
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	The rebellion did not emerge out of nowhere. It was the climax of growing resistance to Spanish [[Slavery\|enslavement]] attempts and [[Christianity\|Christianization]] among the Maya in Belize. Maya leaders encouraged enslaved [[Maya]] to flee to Tipu and abandon Spanish-controlled towns, as the population in the area had never been fully subdued.<ref name=":8" />		The rebellion did not emerge out of nowhere. It was the climax of growing resistance to Spanish [[Slavery\|enslavement]] attempts and [[Christianity\|Christianization]] among the Maya in Belize. Maya leaders encouraged enslaved [[Maya]] to flee to Tipu and abandon Spanish-controlled towns, as the population in the area had never been fully subdued.<ref name=":8" />

	The [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] attempted to prevent the rebellion by sending [[Franciscan]] [[Missionary\|missionaries]], but the Maya forcibly sent them back, making it clear that they were not welcome. Additionally, with pirates sacking [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] settlements in the area, the Spanish gave up and left the Belize region alone for 57 years. During this time, the Maya revived Dzuluinicob, the ancient Maya state.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Bolland, O. Nigel.\|year=2003\|title=Colonialism and Resistance in Belize.\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24027241?seq=1}}</ref>		The [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] attempted to prevent the rebellion by sending [[Franciscan]] [[Missionary\|missionaries]], but the Maya forcibly sent them back, making it clear that they were not welcome. Additionally, with pirates sacking [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] settlements in the area, the Spanish gave up and left the Belize region alone for 57 years. During this time, the Maya revived Dzuluinicob, the ancient Maya state.<ref name=":9">{{Citation\|author=Bolland, O. Nigel.\|year=2003\|title=Colonialism and Resistance in Belize.\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24027241?seq=1}}</ref>

	[[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] eventually reconquered the area in 1696 and established themselves in Tipu, the capital of Dzuluinicob, to subjugate the Maya in Belize. In 1707, they forcibly displaced the Maya of Tipu to an area near Lago Petén Itzá.<ref name=":7" />		[[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] eventually reconquered the area in 1696 and established themselves in Tipu, the capital of Dzuluinicob, to subjugate the Maya in Belize. In 1707, they forcibly displaced the Maya of Tipu to an area near Lago Petén Itzá.<ref name=":7" />

			==== Spain vs Britain ====
			After the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] reestablished their control of Belize, it was included in [[New Spain]] which comprised the area of [[United Mexican States\|Mexico]] and Belize, unlike the Mexican part which was the heart of New Spain, the Spanish left Belize unsettled. The first [[England\|English]] settlers were a group of shipwrecked [[Piracy\|pirates]] known as [[Baymen]] who began to settle in Belize around 1638, they initially used Belize as a base to attack and sack [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] ships and later started making money by cutting and exploiting the native logwood and mahogany which they used to produce dyes and timber which they exported to [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=Alan K. Craig\|year=1969\|title=Logwood as a Factor in the Settlement of British Honduras\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25612108}}</ref>

			Due to the growing wool industry in [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]], the dye from the native logwood ensured the [[Piracy\|pirates]] stayed and established permanent settlements, the pirates transitioned from piracy and focused on the logwood and mahogany trade. Due to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] never effectively settling the Belize region or controlling the area though things changed when Spanish noticed the presence of the British pirates and started repeatedly attacking these British settlements.<ref name=":10">{{Citation\|author=Cameron J. G. Dodge\|year=2024\|title=From Piracy to Mechanization: The Atlantic Logwood Trade, 1550–1775\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/from-piracy-to-mechanization-the-atlantic-logwood-trade-15501775/45B0FCE2C9850515AB4F17B2FB459C45\|doi=10.1017/S0165115324000238}}</ref>

			As the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] government was initially afraid to recognize these settlements as a [[Colonialism\|colony]] due to fear of repercussions from the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]], this led the British settlers to establish their own governance which was called [[the Public Meeting]]. Eventually the Spanish made concessions with the British and allowed them to harvest the logwood and mahogany in Belize but specifically within specific boundaries and explicitly stated Spanish sovereignty. <ref>{{Citation\|author=David M. Gomez\|year=2021\|title=Canals and Borders: The Dynamics of British Expansion in Central America and the Anglo-Guatemalan Territorial Dispute over Belize, c.1821-1863\|title-url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf\|pdf=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf}}</ref>

			Due to this newfound stability for the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] settlers, they began to import thousands of [[Africa\|African]] [[Slavery\|slaves]] from [[West Africa\|West]] and [[Central Africa]] and were forced to cut down the mahogany and logwood which was very tiring and labor-intensive over time the African slaves made up three quarters of the population, the British established a [[Caste\|racial social hierarchy]] with the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] settlers at the top followed by the mixed-race group called [[Creoles]] which were Africans mixed with the British settlers and at the bottom the regular [[Africa\|Africans]]. <ref name=":10" />

			After a while, the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] grew irritated by the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] settlements on ‘their’ territory and on September the 10th, 1798 marked the final and decisive battle for control of Belize. This event called ‘[[The Battle of St. George’s Caye]]’ started with a Spanish fleet with 2,500 troops attacking the British settlements between September 3rd to September 10th. September 10th, was when the British settlers and their [[Slavery\|slaves]] fought against the Spanish fleet in St. Georges Caye, the battle lasted two hours and ended in no casualties. It is important to note that the British settlers had the help of the British navy. <ref name=":9" />

			This victory ensured [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] control of Belize and ended any [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] threats within the region, over time Britain asserted more formal and administrative control over the region and in 1840 it was considered a British colony called [[British Honduras]]. <ref name=":9" />

			==== British Honduras ====

	== References ==		== References ==

Nasr: Encomienda in Belize

2025-11-07T20:18:43Z

Encomienda in Belize

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:18, 7 November 2025
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	==== Encomienda ====		==== Encomienda ====
			[[Encomienda]], translated from [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] as “protection,” was a system of [[Slavery\|enslavement]] of the native population in the Spanish colonies of [[South America]]. The natives were forcefully taken to be “protected and [[Christianity\|Christianized]]” by the encomenderos (slaveholders).<ref>{{Web citation\|author=Britannica Editors\|newspaper=Encyclopedia Britannica\|title=Encomienda\|url=https://www.britannica.com/topic/encomienda}}</ref>

			In Belize, the encomienda system was short-lived and constantly disrupted by [[Maya]] resistance. The strong resistance of the Maya, combined with the jungle environment and the region’s remoteness from [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] strongholds, made Belize not only a hotspot of Maya resistance but also a place where any attempt to enslave the Maya through the encomienda consistently failed.<ref name=":7">{{Citation\|author=ELIZABETH GRAHAM, DAVID M. PENDERGAST, GRANT D. JONES\|year=1989\|title=On the Fringes of Conquest: Maya‑Spanish Contact in Colonial Belize.\|title-url=https://www.lamanai.org.uk/uploads/3/4/5/0/34505207/graham_et_al_1989_fringes_of_conquest.pdf\|pdf=https://www.lamanai.org.uk/uploads/3/4/5/0/34505207/graham_et_al_1989_fringes_of_conquest.pdf}}</ref>

			The [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] used the city of Bacalar to try to establish their presence in Belize, but the remoteness and concentration of militant [[Maya]] made every attempt exhausting. A major Maya rebellion in 1638, known as the [[Tipu Rebellion]], forced the Spanish to completely abandon efforts to establish a long-lasting encomienda in Belize.<ref name=":8">{{Citation\|author=Grant D. Jones\|year=1989\|title=Maya Resistance to Spanish Rule: Time and History on a Colonial Frontier.\|title-url=https://archive.org/details/mayaresistanceto0000jone}}</ref>

			The rebellion did not emerge out of nowhere. It was the climax of growing resistance to Spanish [[Slavery\|enslavement]] attempts and [[Christianity\|Christianization]] among the Maya in Belize. Maya leaders encouraged enslaved [[Maya]] to flee to Tipu and abandon Spanish-controlled towns, as the population in the area had never been fully subdued.<ref name=":8" />

			The [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] attempted to prevent the rebellion by sending [[Franciscan]] [[Missionary\|missionaries]], but the Maya forcibly sent them back, making it clear that they were not welcome. Additionally, with pirates sacking [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] settlements in the area, the Spanish gave up and left the Belize region alone for 57 years. During this time, the Maya revived Dzuluinicob, the ancient Maya state.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Bolland, O. Nigel.\|year=2003\|title=Colonialism and Resistance in Belize.\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24027241?seq=1}}</ref>

			[[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] eventually reconquered the area in 1696 and established themselves in Tipu, the capital of Dzuluinicob, to subjugate the Maya in Belize. In 1707, they forcibly displaced the Maya of Tipu to an area near Lago Petén Itzá.<ref name=":7" />

	== References ==		== References ==

Nasr: finished initial spanish colonization period

2025-11-01T02:09:14Z

finished initial spanish colonization period

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:09, 1 November 2025
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	=== Colonization ===		=== Colonization ===

			==== Spanish Colonization ====
	In 1502, [[Christopher Columbus]] sailed along the coast of present-day Belize and named it the Bay of Honduras. This marked the first [[Europe\|European]] activity in the region and the beginning of [[Colonialism\|colonization]]. Six years later, using the information Columbus had collected, [[King Ferdinand II of Aragon]] who had sponsored Columbus’s first voyage in 1492 sent an expedition to Belize in 1508. This expedition, led by [[Vicente Yáñez Pinzón]] and [[Juan Díaz de Solís]], aimed to exploit the [[Native American\|indigenous people]] and their resources.<ref name=":5">{{Citation\|author=García Cruzado, Eduardo, Mena García, Carmen, Fernández Vial, Ignacio, Fernández Morente, Guadalupe, Varela Marcos, Jesús, Campos Jara, Salvador, Serrera Contreras, Ramón María, Palacio Ramos, Rafael, Colomar Albajar, María Antonia, Szászdi León-Borja, István, Silió Cervera, Fernando, Martín-Merás, Luisa, Amigo Vallejo, Carlos, Ropero Regidor, Diego, Bernabéu Albert, Salvador, Ortega Soto, Martha, Rojas-Marcos González, Jesús, González Gómez, Juan Miguel.\|year=2011\|title=Actas de las Jornadas de Historia sobre el Descubrimiento de América. Tomo II\|title-url=https://dspace.unia.es/handle/10334/3367\|publisher=Universidad Internacional de Andalucía ; Ayuntamiento de Palos de la Frontera\|isbn=978-84-7993-211-4\|doi=10.56451/10334/3367\|trans-lang=Spanish}}</ref>		In 1502, [[Christopher Columbus]] sailed along the coast of present-day Belize and named it the Bay of Honduras. This marked the first [[Europe\|European]] activity in the region and the beginning of [[Colonialism\|colonization]]. Six years later, using the information Columbus had collected, [[King Ferdinand II of Aragon]] who had sponsored Columbus’s first voyage in 1492 sent an expedition to Belize in 1508. This expedition, led by [[Vicente Yáñez Pinzón]] and [[Juan Díaz de Solís]], aimed to exploit the [[Native American\|indigenous people]] and their resources.<ref name=":5">{{Citation\|author=García Cruzado, Eduardo, Mena García, Carmen, Fernández Vial, Ignacio, Fernández Morente, Guadalupe, Varela Marcos, Jesús, Campos Jara, Salvador, Serrera Contreras, Ramón María, Palacio Ramos, Rafael, Colomar Albajar, María Antonia, Szászdi León-Borja, István, Silió Cervera, Fernando, Martín-Merás, Luisa, Amigo Vallejo, Carlos, Ropero Regidor, Diego, Bernabéu Albert, Salvador, Ortega Soto, Martha, Rojas-Marcos González, Jesús, González Gómez, Juan Miguel.\|year=2011\|title=Actas de las Jornadas de Historia sobre el Descubrimiento de América. Tomo II\|title-url=https://dspace.unia.es/handle/10334/3367\|publisher=Universidad Internacional de Andalucía ; Ayuntamiento de Palos de la Frontera\|isbn=978-84-7993-211-4\|doi=10.56451/10334/3367\|trans-lang=Spanish}}</ref>

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	After this defeat, many of [[Montejo the Younger\|Montejo]]’s men abandoned him upon hearing of [[Pizarro]]’s successful conquest of [[Republic of Peru\|Peru]]. Although the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] managed to maintain control over small pockets of [[Yucatán]], the widespread devastation caused by smallpox severely weakened the [[Maya]]. Within these areas, the Spanish established the [[encomienda]] system, a form of slavery disguised as a religious and protective institution.<ref name=":6" />		After this defeat, many of [[Montejo the Younger\|Montejo]]’s men abandoned him upon hearing of [[Pizarro]]’s successful conquest of [[Republic of Peru\|Peru]]. Although the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] managed to maintain control over small pockets of [[Yucatán]], the widespread devastation caused by smallpox severely weakened the [[Maya]]. Within these areas, the Spanish established the [[encomienda]] system, a form of slavery disguised as a religious and protective institution.<ref name=":6" />

			The combination of disease and [[Slavery\|enslavement]] fueled [[Maya]] resistance. The Xiu [[Monarchism\|monarchs]] were crucial in helping [[Francisco de Montejo the Younger\|Montejo the Younger]] preserve [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] control over these regions. Over time, the Spanish secured loyalty from local Maya rulers by offering them the title of cacique (local ruler). These leaders retained much of their previous status and wealth but were required to enforce the [[encomienda]] system and promote the [[Christianity\|Christianization]] of their people.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Matthew Restall\|title=Maya Conquistador\|title-url=https://dokumen.pub/maya-conquistador-9780807055069-9780807055076.html\|isbn=0—8070-5507-7}}</ref>

			Through a mix of bribery, coercion, and biological warfare, the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] established control over most of [[Yucatán]] by 1547, though the Itza [[Maya]] remained independent. Resistance continued throughout the colonial period, as the Spanish control in Belize remained weak and the area became a hotspot for rebellion.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Andrews, Anthony P.\|title=The Political Geography of the Sixteenth Century Yucatan Maya\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3629799}}</ref>

			This resistance endured for centuries, under both [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] and later [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] rule. The last bastion of independent [[Maya]] governance, the Itza kingdom, fell in 1697, over 150 years after most of [[Yucatán]] had been conquered. The full colonization of the Maya took 400 years.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Maxine Oland, Joel W. Palka\|year=2016\|title=The perduring Maya: new archaeology on early Colonial transitions\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antiquity/article/abs/perduring-maya-new-archaeology-on-early-colonial-transitions/9A66C1CDB8107354C3F4AB940D717913}}</ref>

			Despite their eventual success, the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] relied heavily on indirect rule through [[Maya]] leaders, and the Maya continued to resist and rebel throughout the entire [[Colonialism\|colonial]] process.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Caroline Cunill\|title=Translating Native Consent in the Spanish Empire: Maya Words and Agency in Sixteenth-Century Yucatan.\|title-url=https://journals.openedition.org/lerhistoria/13029}}</ref>

			==== Encomienda ====

	== References ==		== References ==

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saving a lil

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	When Pinzón and Solís landed on the shore with their men, they were met by the [[Maya Civilization\|Maya]]. In response to the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spaniards]]’ demands for resources the Maya successfully expelled them. However, the Spanish left behind diseases through intentional biological warfare, causing population losses among the Maya. <ref name=":5" />		When Pinzón and Solís landed on the shore with their men, they were met by the [[Maya Civilization\|Maya]]. In response to the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spaniards]]’ demands for resources the Maya successfully expelled them. However, the Spanish left behind diseases through intentional biological warfare, causing population losses among the Maya. <ref name=":5" />

	Upon returning to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]], Pinzón reported the expedition’s failure to the Crown and accused Solís of erratic behavior, leading to Solís’s detainment. Later, [[King Charles I]] of Spain (of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty) launched another major expedition in 1526, appointing [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder]] as commander. Charles intended to establish a [[Settler colonialism\|settler colony]] similar to [[Pizzaro\|Pizzaro’]]<nowiki/>s successes in [[~~United Mexican States~~\|~~Mexico~~]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=J. LESLIE MITCHELL\|title=THE CONQUEST OF THE MAYA\|title-url=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf\|pdf=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf}}</ref>		Upon returning to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]], Pinzón reported the expedition’s failure to the Crown and accused Solís of erratic behavior, leading to Solís’s detainment. Later, [[King Charles I]] of Spain (of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty) launched another major expedition in 1526, appointing [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder]] as commander. Charles intended to establish a [[Settler colonialism\|settler colony]] similar to [[Pizzaro\|Pizzaro’]]<nowiki/>s successes in [[Republic of Peru\|Peru]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=J. LESLIE MITCHELL\|title=THE CONQUEST OF THE MAYA\|title-url=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf\|pdf=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf}}</ref>

	When [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder\|Montejo]] arrived on the coast of Belize and established a small settlement near Xelha, his men struggled to survive in the intense heat and humidity. Many died or fell ill, and the survivors became demoralized. In an attempt to discipline his men and remove any thought of fleeing, Montejo burned his own ships, declaring there was no turning back. He then attacked the Maya town of Ake, massacring civilians. However, upon returning to his garrison, Montejo found his supplies depleted and most of his men dead. <ref>{{Citation\|author=Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés\|title=Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano.\|title-url=https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/}}</ref>		When [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder\|Montejo]] arrived on the coast of Belize and established a small settlement near Xelha, his men struggled to survive in the intense heat and humidity. Many died or fell ill, and the survivors became demoralized. In an attempt to discipline his men and remove any thought of fleeing, Montejo burned his own ships, declaring there was no turning back. He then attacked the Maya town of Ake, massacring civilians. However, upon returning to his garrison, Montejo found his supplies depleted and most of his men dead. <ref>{{Citation\|author=Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés\|title=Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano.\|title-url=https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/}}</ref>

	At this time, the [[Maya]] had not yet been ~~weakened~~ by [[Europe\|European]] diseases, and their decentralized political structure prevented the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] from exploiting internal rivalries, the Maya forced Montejo the Elder and his remaining men to flee back to Spain.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Chamberlain, Robert S\|year=1948\|title=The Conquest and Colonization of Yucatán}}</ref>		At this time, the [[Maya]] had not yet been depopulated by [[Europe\|European]] diseases, and their decentralized political structure prevented the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] from exploiting internal rivalries, the Maya forced Montejo the Elder and his remaining men to flee back to Spain.<ref name=":6">{{Citation\|author=Chamberlain, Robert S\|year=1948\|title=The Conquest and Colonization of Yucatán}}</ref>

			After his father’s failure, [[Francisco de Montejo the Younger]] took command of a third expedition into Belize. Learning from his father’s mistakes, he adopted a slower and more strategic approach, forming alliances and bribing [[Maya]] rulers for protection. This allowed the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] to establish a permanent foothold in western Belize, which became their headquarters for future attacks.<ref name=":6" />

			In 1541, [[Francisco de Montejo the Younger\|Montejo the Younger]] formed an alliance with the Tutul-Xiu [[Maya]], who were desperate after smallpox, measles, and influenza had decimated their population. Motivated by their hatred of the rival [[Cocom]] Maya, the Tutul-Xiu provided thousands of warriors to fight alongside the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]]. With this force, the Spanish gained control of western and central Yucatán, and in 1542 Montejo founded the city of Mérida atop the ancient Maya city of Ichkansihó.<ref name=":6" />

			Following the founding of [[Mérida]] and the conquest of western and central [[Yucatán]], Nachi Cocom, the halach uinik (monarch) of the [[Cocom]] Maya, led a siege against the Spanish occupiers. However, he was defeated in the [[Battle of Tiho]] with the help of the Xiu [[Maya]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=Diego de Landa\|year=1566\|title=Relación de las cosas de Yucatán\|title-url=https://www.wayeb.org/download/resources/landa.pdf\|pdf=https://www.wayeb.org/download/resources/landa.pdf}}</ref>

			After this defeat, many of [[Montejo the Younger\|Montejo]]’s men abandoned him upon hearing of [[Pizarro]]’s successful conquest of [[Republic of Peru\|Peru]]. Although the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] managed to maintain control over small pockets of [[Yucatán]], the widespread devastation caused by smallpox severely weakened the [[Maya]]. Within these areas, the Spanish established the [[encomienda]] system, a form of slavery disguised as a religious and protective institution.<ref name=":6" />

	== References ==		== References ==

Nasr: saving

2025-10-31T13:54:52Z

saving

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:54, 31 October 2025
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	Upon returning to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]], Pinzón reported the expedition’s failure to the Crown and accused Solís of erratic behavior, leading to Solís’s detainment. Later, [[King Charles I]] of Spain (of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty) launched another major expedition in 1526, appointing [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder]] as commander. Charles intended to establish a [[Settler colonialism\|settler colony]] similar to [[Pizzaro\|Pizzaro’]]<nowiki/>s successes in [[United Mexican States\|Mexico]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=J. LESLIE MITCHELL\|title=THE CONQUEST OF THE MAYA\|title-url=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf\|pdf=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf}}</ref>		Upon returning to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]], Pinzón reported the expedition’s failure to the Crown and accused Solís of erratic behavior, leading to Solís’s detainment. Later, [[King Charles I]] of Spain (of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty) launched another major expedition in 1526, appointing [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder]] as commander. Charles intended to establish a [[Settler colonialism\|settler colony]] similar to [[Pizzaro\|Pizzaro’]]<nowiki/>s successes in [[United Mexican States\|Mexico]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=J. LESLIE MITCHELL\|title=THE CONQUEST OF THE MAYA\|title-url=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf\|pdf=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf}}</ref>

			When [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder\|Montejo]] arrived on the coast of Belize and established a small settlement near Xelha, his men struggled to survive in the intense heat and humidity. Many died or fell ill, and the survivors became demoralized. In an attempt to discipline his men and remove any thought of fleeing, Montejo burned his own ships, declaring there was no turning back. He then attacked the Maya town of Ake, massacring civilians. However, upon returning to his garrison, Montejo found his supplies depleted and most of his men dead. <ref>{{Citation\|author=Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés\|title=Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano.\|title-url=https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/}}</ref>

			At this time, the [[Maya]] had not yet been weakened by [[Europe\|European]] diseases, and their decentralized political structure prevented the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] from exploiting internal rivalries, the Maya forced Montejo the Elder and his remaining men to flee back to Spain.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Chamberlain, Robert S\|year=1948\|title=The Conquest and Colonization of Yucatán}}</ref>

	== References ==		== References ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:18, 11 November 2025
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	Due to the growing wool industry in [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]], the dye from the native logwood ensured the [[Piracy\|pirates]] stayed and established permanent settlements, the pirates transitioned from piracy and focused on the logwood and mahogany trade. Due to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] never effectively settling the Belize region or controlling the area though things changed when Spanish noticed the presence of the British pirates and started repeatedly attacking these British settlements.<ref name=":10">{{Citation\|author=Cameron J. G. Dodge\|year=2024\|title=From Piracy to Mechanization: The Atlantic Logwood Trade, 1550–1775\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/from-piracy-to-mechanization-the-atlantic-logwood-trade-15501775/45B0FCE2C9850515AB4F17B2FB459C45\|doi=10.1017/S0165115324000238}}</ref>		Due to the growing wool industry in [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]], the dye from the native logwood ensured the [[Piracy\|pirates]] stayed and established permanent settlements, the pirates transitioned from piracy and focused on the logwood and mahogany trade. Due to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] never effectively settling the Belize region or controlling the area though things changed when Spanish noticed the presence of the British pirates and started repeatedly attacking these British settlements.<ref name=":10">{{Citation\|author=Cameron J. G. Dodge\|year=2024\|title=From Piracy to Mechanization: The Atlantic Logwood Trade, 1550–1775\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/from-piracy-to-mechanization-the-atlantic-logwood-trade-15501775/45B0FCE2C9850515AB4F17B2FB459C45\|doi=10.1017/S0165115324000238}}</ref>
	[[File:St. George's Caye.webp\|thumb\|Stamp from British Honduras (now Belize) ~~and~~ commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of St. George's Caye.]]		[[File:St. George's Caye.webp\|thumb\|Stamp from British Honduras (now Belize) that commemorates the 150th anniversary of the Battle of St. George's Caye.]]
	As the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] government was initially afraid to recognize these settlements as a [[Colonialism\|colony]] due to fear of repercussions from the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]], this led the British settlers to establish their own governance which was called [[the Public Meeting]]. Eventually the Spanish made concessions with the British and allowed them to harvest the logwood and mahogany in Belize but specifically within specific boundaries and explicitly stated Spanish sovereignty. <ref>{{Citation\|author=David M. Gomez\|year=2021\|title=Canals and Borders: The Dynamics of British Expansion in Central America and the Anglo-Guatemalan Territorial Dispute over Belize, c.1821-1863\|title-url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf\|pdf=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf}}</ref>		As the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] government was initially afraid to recognize these settlements as a [[Colonialism\|colony]] due to fear of repercussions from the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]], this led the British settlers to establish their own governance which was called [[the Public Meeting]]. Eventually the Spanish made concessions with the British and allowed them to harvest the logwood and mahogany in Belize but specifically within specific boundaries and explicitly stated Spanish sovereignty. <ref>{{Citation\|author=David M. Gomez\|year=2021\|title=Canals and Borders: The Dynamics of British Expansion in Central America and the Anglo-Guatemalan Territorial Dispute over Belize, c.1821-1863\|title-url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf\|pdf=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf}}</ref>

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	The rebellion did not emerge out of nowhere. It was the climax of growing resistance to Spanish [[Slavery\|enslavement]] attempts and [[Christianity\|Christianization]] among the Maya in Belize. Maya leaders encouraged enslaved [[Maya]] to flee to Tipu and abandon Spanish-controlled towns, as the population in the area had never been fully subdued.<ref name=":8" />		The rebellion did not emerge out of nowhere. It was the climax of growing resistance to Spanish [[Slavery\|enslavement]] attempts and [[Christianity\|Christianization]] among the Maya in Belize. Maya leaders encouraged enslaved [[Maya]] to flee to Tipu and abandon Spanish-controlled towns, as the population in the area had never been fully subdued.<ref name=":8" />

	The [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] attempted to prevent the rebellion by sending [[Franciscan]] [[Missionary\|missionaries]], but the Maya forcibly sent them back, making it clear that they were not welcome. Additionally, with pirates sacking [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] settlements in the area, the Spanish gave up and left the Belize region alone for 57 years. During this time, the Maya revived Dzuluinicob, the ancient Maya state.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Bolland, O. Nigel.\|year=2003\|title=Colonialism and Resistance in Belize.\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24027241?seq=1}}</ref>		The [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] attempted to prevent the rebellion by sending [[Franciscan]] [[Missionary\|missionaries]], but the Maya forcibly sent them back, making it clear that they were not welcome. Additionally, with pirates sacking [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] settlements in the area, the Spanish gave up and left the Belize region alone for 57 years. During this time, the Maya revived Dzuluinicob, the ancient Maya state.<ref name=":9">{{Citation\|author=Bolland, O. Nigel.\|year=2003\|title=Colonialism and Resistance in Belize.\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/24027241?seq=1}}</ref>

	[[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] eventually reconquered the area in 1696 and established themselves in Tipu, the capital of Dzuluinicob, to subjugate the Maya in Belize. In 1707, they forcibly displaced the Maya of Tipu to an area near Lago Petén Itzá.<ref name=":7" />		[[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] eventually reconquered the area in 1696 and established themselves in Tipu, the capital of Dzuluinicob, to subjugate the Maya in Belize. In 1707, they forcibly displaced the Maya of Tipu to an area near Lago Petén Itzá.<ref name=":7" />

			==== Spain vs Britain ====
			After the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] reestablished their control of Belize, it was included in [[New Spain]] which comprised the area of [[United Mexican States\|Mexico]] and Belize, unlike the Mexican part which was the heart of New Spain, the Spanish left Belize unsettled. The first [[England\|English]] settlers were a group of shipwrecked [[Piracy\|pirates]] known as [[Baymen]] who began to settle in Belize around 1638, they initially used Belize as a base to attack and sack [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] ships and later started making money by cutting and exploiting the native logwood and mahogany which they used to produce dyes and timber which they exported to [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=Alan K. Craig\|year=1969\|title=Logwood as a Factor in the Settlement of British Honduras\|title-url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/25612108}}</ref>

			Due to the growing wool industry in [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|Britain]], the dye from the native logwood ensured the [[Piracy\|pirates]] stayed and established permanent settlements, the pirates transitioned from piracy and focused on the logwood and mahogany trade. Due to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]] never effectively settling the Belize region or controlling the area though things changed when Spanish noticed the presence of the British pirates and started repeatedly attacking these British settlements.<ref name=":10">{{Citation\|author=Cameron J. G. Dodge\|year=2024\|title=From Piracy to Mechanization: The Atlantic Logwood Trade, 1550–1775\|title-url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/itinerario/article/from-piracy-to-mechanization-the-atlantic-logwood-trade-15501775/45B0FCE2C9850515AB4F17B2FB459C45\|doi=10.1017/S0165115324000238}}</ref>

			As the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] government was initially afraid to recognize these settlements as a [[Colonialism\|colony]] due to fear of repercussions from the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]], this led the British settlers to establish their own governance which was called [[the Public Meeting]]. Eventually the Spanish made concessions with the British and allowed them to harvest the logwood and mahogany in Belize but specifically within specific boundaries and explicitly stated Spanish sovereignty. <ref>{{Citation\|author=David M. Gomez\|year=2021\|title=Canals and Borders: The Dynamics of British Expansion in Central America and the Anglo-Guatemalan Territorial Dispute over Belize, c.1821-1863\|title-url=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf\|pdf=https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10129631/1/David%20Maurice%20Gomez_PhD%20Dissertation_e-thesis.pdf}}</ref>

			Due to this newfound stability for the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] settlers, they began to import thousands of [[Africa\|African]] [[Slavery\|slaves]] from [[West Africa\|West]] and [[Central Africa]] and were forced to cut down the mahogany and logwood which was very tiring and labor-intensive over time the African slaves made up three quarters of the population, the British established a [[Caste\|racial social hierarchy]] with the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] settlers at the top followed by the mixed-race group called [[Creoles]] which were Africans mixed with the British settlers and at the bottom the regular [[Africa\|Africans]]. <ref name=":10" />

			After a while, the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] grew irritated by the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] settlements on ‘their’ territory and on September the 10th, 1798 marked the final and decisive battle for control of Belize. This event called ‘[[The Battle of St. George’s Caye]]’ started with a Spanish fleet with 2,500 troops attacking the British settlements between September 3rd to September 10th. September 10th, was when the British settlers and their [[Slavery\|slaves]] fought against the Spanish fleet in St. Georges Caye, the battle lasted two hours and ended in no casualties. It is important to note that the British settlers had the help of the British navy. <ref name=":9" />

			This victory ensured [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland\|British]] control of Belize and ended any [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] threats within the region, over time Britain asserted more formal and administrative control over the region and in 1840 it was considered a British colony called [[British Honduras]]. <ref name=":9" />

			==== British Honduras ====

	== References ==		== References ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:43, 31 October 2025
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	When Pinzón and Solís landed on the shore with their men, they were met by the [[Maya Civilization\|Maya]]. In response to the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spaniards]]’ demands for resources the Maya successfully expelled them. However, the Spanish left behind diseases through intentional biological warfare, causing population losses among the Maya. <ref name=":5" />		When Pinzón and Solís landed on the shore with their men, they were met by the [[Maya Civilization\|Maya]]. In response to the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spaniards]]’ demands for resources the Maya successfully expelled them. However, the Spanish left behind diseases through intentional biological warfare, causing population losses among the Maya. <ref name=":5" />

	Upon returning to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]], Pinzón reported the expedition’s failure to the Crown and accused Solís of erratic behavior, leading to Solís’s detainment. Later, [[King Charles I]] of Spain (of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty) launched another major expedition in 1526, appointing [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder]] as commander. Charles intended to establish a [[Settler colonialism\|settler colony]] similar to [[Pizzaro\|Pizzaro’]]<nowiki/>s successes in [[~~United Mexican States~~\|~~Mexico~~]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=J. LESLIE MITCHELL\|title=THE CONQUEST OF THE MAYA\|title-url=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf\|pdf=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf}}</ref>		Upon returning to [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spain]], Pinzón reported the expedition’s failure to the Crown and accused Solís of erratic behavior, leading to Solís’s detainment. Later, [[King Charles I]] of Spain (of the [[Habsburg]] dynasty) launched another major expedition in 1526, appointing [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder]] as commander. Charles intended to establish a [[Settler colonialism\|settler colony]] similar to [[Pizzaro\|Pizzaro’]]<nowiki/>s successes in [[Republic of Peru\|Peru]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=J. LESLIE MITCHELL\|title=THE CONQUEST OF THE MAYA\|title-url=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf\|pdf=https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/2065/8618/206586189.23.pdf}}</ref>

	When [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder\|Montejo]] arrived on the coast of Belize and established a small settlement near Xelha, his men struggled to survive in the intense heat and humidity. Many died or fell ill, and the survivors became demoralized. In an attempt to discipline his men and remove any thought of fleeing, Montejo burned his own ships, declaring there was no turning back. He then attacked the Maya town of Ake, massacring civilians. However, upon returning to his garrison, Montejo found his supplies depleted and most of his men dead. <ref>{{Citation\|author=Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés\|title=Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano.\|title-url=https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/}}</ref>		When [[Francisco de Montejo the Elder\|Montejo]] arrived on the coast of Belize and established a small settlement near Xelha, his men struggled to survive in the intense heat and humidity. Many died or fell ill, and the survivors became demoralized. In an attempt to discipline his men and remove any thought of fleeing, Montejo burned his own ships, declaring there was no turning back. He then attacked the Maya town of Ake, massacring civilians. However, upon returning to his garrison, Montejo found his supplies depleted and most of his men dead. <ref>{{Citation\|author=Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés\|title=Historia general y natural de las Indias, islas y tierra-firme del mar océano.\|title-url=https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra/historia-general-y-natural-de-las-indias-islas-y-tierrafirme-del-mar-oceano-primera-parte--0/}}</ref>

	At this time, the [[Maya]] had not yet been ~~weakened~~ by [[Europe\|European]] diseases, and their decentralized political structure prevented the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] from exploiting internal rivalries, the Maya forced Montejo the Elder and his remaining men to flee back to Spain.<ref>{{Citation\|author=Chamberlain, Robert S\|year=1948\|title=The Conquest and Colonization of Yucatán}}</ref>		At this time, the [[Maya]] had not yet been depopulated by [[Europe\|European]] diseases, and their decentralized political structure prevented the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] from exploiting internal rivalries, the Maya forced Montejo the Elder and his remaining men to flee back to Spain.<ref name=":6">{{Citation\|author=Chamberlain, Robert S\|year=1948\|title=The Conquest and Colonization of Yucatán}}</ref>

			After his father’s failure, [[Francisco de Montejo the Younger]] took command of a third expedition into Belize. Learning from his father’s mistakes, he adopted a slower and more strategic approach, forming alliances and bribing [[Maya]] rulers for protection. This allowed the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] to establish a permanent foothold in western Belize, which became their headquarters for future attacks.<ref name=":6" />

			In 1541, [[Francisco de Montejo the Younger\|Montejo the Younger]] formed an alliance with the Tutul-Xiu [[Maya]], who were desperate after smallpox, measles, and influenza had decimated their population. Motivated by their hatred of the rival [[Cocom]] Maya, the Tutul-Xiu provided thousands of warriors to fight alongside the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]]. With this force, the Spanish gained control of western and central Yucatán, and in 1542 Montejo founded the city of Mérida atop the ancient Maya city of Ichkansihó.<ref name=":6" />

			Following the founding of [[Mérida]] and the conquest of western and central [[Yucatán]], Nachi Cocom, the halach uinik (monarch) of the [[Cocom]] Maya, led a siege against the Spanish occupiers. However, he was defeated in the [[Battle of Tiho]] with the help of the Xiu [[Maya]].<ref>{{Citation\|author=Diego de Landa\|year=1566\|title=Relación de las cosas de Yucatán\|title-url=https://www.wayeb.org/download/resources/landa.pdf\|pdf=https://www.wayeb.org/download/resources/landa.pdf}}</ref>

			After this defeat, many of [[Montejo the Younger\|Montejo]]’s men abandoned him upon hearing of [[Pizarro]]’s successful conquest of [[Republic of Peru\|Peru]]. Although the [[Kingdom of Spain\|Spanish]] managed to maintain control over small pockets of [[Yucatán]], the widespread devastation caused by smallpox severely weakened the [[Maya]]. Within these areas, the Spanish established the [[encomienda]] system, a form of slavery disguised as a religious and protective institution.<ref name=":6" />

	== References ==		== References ==