The Itzas were one of the peoples who made up the Mayan empire, which included the south of modern-day Mexico, Guatemala and Belice. They settled in Belize, and participated in the construction of the cities of Lubaatún, Pusilhá and what the archaeologists in the absence of better calling San José.
In 1502 Columbus ruled the coast of the country and christened it Bahia de Honduras. It was primarily the Spaniards who constituted the region’s most important colonial power, but they never succeeded in conquering Belize, where they met fierce opposition from the indigenous people. Spain allowed under the Treaty of Paris of 1763 that the English set out on the exploitation of precious wood; an authorization confirmed in the Treaty of Versailles from 1783. From the Yucatan headquarters – present Mexico – Spaniards repeatedly tried to expel the English, mainly engaged in piracy. The British had gained full control of the island in 1798, although the Spaniards still officially retained supremacy. Not until 1862 did British Honduras become an English colony. A government appointed by the British Crown was established in 1871 and the area was administered by the governor of Jamaica until 1884.
Attracted in particular by the cedar, campeche and tinted trees, some English traders settled in the sparsely populated coastal areas in the 17th century and began to import African slaves during this period in order to have the necessary labor. In a short time the number of slaves exceeded the European colonizers, and in 1784, almost 10% of the total population of European descent; a relationship that hasn’t changed much since.
According to thesciencetutor, the composition of the Belize population became even more disparate in the early 19th century. At that time, they began to “import” garifuna to the southern part of Belize. The racial war that took place on the Yucatan Peninsula between 1847 and 1853 displaced tens of thousands of Spanish speakers from northern Belize, at the same time as several Mayan communities again settled in the north and west. These migrants brought technical innovations and developed agriculture, helping to not only improve survival opportunities but also help improve sugar production., bananas and citrus fruits. From 1860-1870, the plantation owners provided for the immigration of thousands of workers who came mainly from China and India. At the end of the century, Mayan and Kekchi Indians, who had fled Guatemala, founded self-sufficient communities in southern and western Belize.
In the early 20th century, the ethnic composition of the people of Belice was reasonably stable, but the economy was stagnant and the British colony administration prevented any democratic action. A hurricane destroyed a large part of Belize City in 1931. A series of strikes and demonstrations, organized by workers and unemployed, led to the formation of trade unions and led to renewed demands for democratization. The right to vote was introduced in 1936, but was severely hampered by the requirement to read and write, the requirement to own real estate and the racial requirements. When the governor devalued the national currency in 1949, the union leaders and the colored middle class united to form People’s Committees to demand constitutional reform.
From this movement, in 1950, the initiative for the founding of the United People’s Party, led by George Price, emerged overwhelmingly in the first election in which they participated. The general and direct elections to a legislative assembly were introduced in 1954. In 1961 a system of ministerial government was introduced, and in 1964 the country gained autonomy and George Price became prime minister. On June 1, the country changed its name from British Honduras to Belize.
