A History of Belize Nation in the Making. Mayan Civilization – Location Developed for thousands of...
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Transcript of A History of Belize Nation in the Making. Mayan Civilization – Location Developed for thousands of...
Mayan Civilization – Location
• Developed for thousands of years throughout northern Central America– Mexico– Guatemala– Honduras– El Salvador– Belize
• Mayans probably settled in Belize around 900 BC• Archaeological evidence suggests communities
were present nearly 1000 years before that
http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/camerica.htm
http://research.famsi.org/maps/maps.php?map=maya%20area
Mayan Civilization – Artisans
• Agriculture allowed for the development of the culture
• Mayans cultivated:– Corn – Cocoa– Beans – Chili peppers– Squash – Cotton
• Pottery was made• Textiles were also produced by dyeing and weaving cotton
Mayan Civilization – Scholastic Development
• Mathematics– Zero
• Astronomy– Calendars
• Religion• Writing
– Stone slabs, “stela”– Books, “codex”
Mayan Civilization – Cities
• Temples for worship• Palaces for royalty• Public houses• Plazas, sculptures, etc.• Ball courts
– Ulama: a game played with a rubber ball, the object of the game was to pass the ball through a stone circle, ball could only be struck with hips
Mayan Civilization – Peak
• Civilization peaked between 250 – 1000 AD• Known as the “Classic Period”• Powerful civic centers in Belize:
– Altun Ha– Lubaantun– El Pilar– Xunantunich– Caracol
European Conquest
• Portugal, Spain, France, Britain and the Netherlands all began expanding
• Empire building took place in:– Africa– Asia– Americas
• Columbus sailed in 1492 and arrived in present-day Bahamas
European Colonization – Belize
• British buccaneers settled Belize
• Used the coastline and caysto prey upon Spanish fleets
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
European Colonization – Belize
• Spanish conquistadors traveled through Belize– Hernan Cortes: conquered Aztec empire in Mexico– Pedro de Alavaro: defeated the Maya in Yucatan
• Mayans in northern Belize fought back
• Most died from European disease
Slavery in Americas
• First African slaves in Americas – 1518
• Slave trade existed for more than 300 yrs
• Est. 15-20 million slaves transported
Slavery in Belize
• British woodcutters needed laborers
• Not enough locals
• Imported African slaves from Caribbean sugar plantations
http://brown.edu/Administration/News_Bureau/2006-07/06-108.html
Slavery in Belize
• 1700s–African slaves = majority of population– 75% African slaves– 10% white– 15% free Africans, mestizos, indigenous
• Slave trade ended – 1807
• Slavery abolished – 1833
Economical Exploitation of Belize
• Western European nations controlled economies of their colonies
• Development in Belize dictated by Europe
Forestry in Belize
• Forestry requires few people– This kept the population low
• Logwood– The main export for a time
• Mahogany– The price export
http://www.mamadoc.org/pics/dr-logwood-tree-big.html
http://www.roundriver.org/Peru.html
Development of Merchant Class
• Import of nearly all necessities
• Merchants became wealthy/powerful
• Trade with Confederates during US Civil War
Land: A Monopoly
• European absentee land-owners
• Excluded indigenous peoples from owning
• Only land owners could vote
• By 1817, Britain controlled “unclaimed” land
Suppressing Agriculture
• Subsistence farming
• £1 per acre (1838)– This excluded
newly freed slaves
• Continued merchant monopoly
http://www.plentyaustin.org/belize.htm
Independence in European Colonies
• Workers’ Movements
• World War II
• India, Vietnam and many other nations declared their independence
• Nationalist Movements
Harsh Labor Laws
• Severe punishments for “crimes”– Missing a day– Leaving a job unfinished– Disobeying supervisor
– 3 months in jail with hard labor
Workers’ Resistance
• Mayan and slaves-turned-workers sought better wages and more control
• 1836-1936, $12-15 per month
• Company store– Indebted employees
Working Class Riots
• Currency devaluation– Same pay, worth less
• Racist treatment during WWI, WWII– Destruction of white-owned businesses– Universal Negro Improvement Assn. (UNIA)
• Great Depression
Nationalist Movements
• Large scale emigration– US: agriculture– Panama: canal building– Britain: forestry
• Peoples’ Committee (Peoples’ United Party)– Assault on colonialism
• General Workers’ Union– Alliance with laborers
Constitutional Struggle
• Economic conditions– Value of dollar
• Social conditions– Universal suffrage
• 1964 – Self government
Contention
• Spanish law of 1821
• All Spanish colonies remained same
• 1945 – Guatemala declared Belize as part
• Continued invasion threats (1972, ’75, ’77)– British military prevented invasions