Page 212 - Central America

hristopher Columbus sailed along the coast Scattered settlements of Mopan and Chol Maya
C of Central America in 1502, and named the
Bay of Honduras which borders the southern
part of the barrier reef. The first settlers in Belize located just west of present-day Corozal Town,
were English Puritans, setting up trading posts
along the coast of Belize. Various bands of ship-
wrecked sailors, buccaneers, and pirates estab-
lished permanent bases in Belize, harassing the
Spanish galleons carrying gold, silver, and hard-
woods from Central America to Europe. It wasn’t
long before logging became the dominant oc-
cupation. This band of rugged individuals took
to calling themselves “Baymen” after the Bay of
Honduras. Spain continually attempted to expel
these British buccaneers from then Spanish terri-
tory, but finally signed treaties in 1763 and 1786
allowing the British to continue to harvest timber
in exchange for protection against pirates prey-
ing on the Spanish galleons.
In 1519-20, Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztec
empire in Mexico. His lieutenant, Pedro de Alva-
rado, defeated the Maya in Yucatan. Expeditions
were sent to conquer what is now Guatemala and
Honduras. CortŽs himself passed through the
south-west corner of the Toledo District in 1525.
the Classic Period of the Maya, the population
in that area were also devastated by Spanish in-
cursions in the 17th century. The Spaniards tried
to control the Maya of Chetumal. Chetumal was
then the capital of a large Maya area, and was
possibly at Santa Rita. In answer to a demand to
submit to Spain, Chetumal’s chief, Nachankan, re-
plied that his only tribute would be“turkeys in the
shape of spears and corn in the shape of arrows”.
The Maya defeated the Spanish and old Chetu-
mal in Belize became a place of refuge for Maya
fleeing the Spanish rule. The Spanish invaders
moved farther south, but all attempts to control
other Maya villages, like Lamanai in New River
Lagoon, and Tipu, a Maya village of about 500
inhabitants near Negroman in the Cayo District,
eventually failed. The Maya fought back. They
burnt the churches the Spanish missionaries had
built and returned to their old beliefs. In southern dle of the 17th century these pirates began
Belize, the Chol Maya opposed the Spanish in the
same manner.
The Spanish never had lasting control over
the Maya in Belize. They never settled in the
area but they did cause social disruption. During
of what is now Belize was at least 400,000. After
the decline, the population was greatly reduced.
Of those who remained, as much as 86 per cent
died after coming into contact with the Spanish.
Some were killed in war, but most of them died
from new European diseases brought by the con-
querors. By the time the British came to Belize the
Maya were no longer living near the coast. When
the British arrived in the 17th century they did
not mention any contact with the Maya. It was
only late in the 18th century that their records
show contact with the Maya inland.
T he first British who arrived on the coast
of Belize left few records. They were pi-
rates, buccaneers and adventurers, and lived
in rough camps which they used as bases to
raid Spanish ships. Buccaneers. By the mid-
to cut the logwood they found in the area. In
1670 the Treaty of Madrid put an end to the
piracy and encouraged these settlers to cut
logwood. These settlers were called Baymen.