Page 218 - Central America
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Belize: Key Historical Dates
200 - 800 A.D. -Maya cities flourish all within a year. 1787 -British evacuate Mosquito Shore and
through Belize. 1763 -Treaty of Paris: Spain permitted Brit- 2,214 “Shoremen” and their slaves came to
900 1000 A.D. -Maya cultural decline in ish settlers to cut logwood; no boundaries Belize. Public meeting determined qualifica-
Southern and Central America defined. tions for owning mahogany works.
1520s -CortŽs crosses Southern Belize 1765 -Admiral Burnaby codified Settle- 1788 -Maya attacked mahogany works on
1530s -Montejo attempts to conquer Belize ment’s Regulations, known as “Burnaby’s New River.
for Spain. Nachankan and Belize Maya de- Code”. Public meetings passed resolutions 1798 -Battle of St. George’s Caye
feated Spanish. boundaries of logwood works. 1802 -150 Garifuna already settled at Stann
1650s -British buccaneers begin to settle Be- 1765/68/73 -Slaves revolt. Creek.
lizean coast. 1779 -Spanish forces capture Belize and take 1807 -Abolition of slave trade.
1660 -Bartholomew Sharpe, famous British Baymen and slaves to Yucatan. Slaves freed 1817 -Superintendent takes away power of
pirate, makes Belize his base and begins to after declaring loyalty to Spain. Baymen sent settlers to issue lands; large body of runaway
harvest logwood for sale to U.K. to Cuba. slaves reported in the interior.
1670 -Godolphin (Madrid) Treaty opening 1783 -Treaty of Versailles: Spain recognizes 1820 -Slave revolt.
all of the Americas to British colonization. British rights to cut logwood in Belize be-
tween the Hondo and Belize rivers.
1717 -Spanish force from Peten drives out 1784 -Settlers return to Belize; Despard ap- 1821 -Mexican and Central American inde-
Baymen. pointed first Superintendent of the settle- pendence.
1720s -First record of African slaves in Be- ment. 1831 -Act passed to give equal rights to
lize. 1786 -Convention of London expands Brit- “colored subjects” as to whites.
1754 -Spanish drive out Baymen who return ish rights in Belize to the Sibun and permits
mahogany cutting.
