A Brief History of Guatemala

A Brief History of Guatemala

20th Century

Independent

21st Cenury

• 2000BC-250 AD "Myan Preclassic Period"
• 250-900 AD "Classic Period": many Maya cities reached their historically recognized height of making great contributions to astrology, mathematics, writing, language, architecture, religion, and agriculture
• 900-1523 AD "Postclassic Period": Mayan Civilization was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world

1898 to 1920-next rule

1901- the American United Fruit Company began operations in Guatemala and by the

1930s- they were growing huge amounts of bananas in the country.

1931- Jorge Ubico was elected president. He remained in power until

1941- declares was on the axis of powers

1944- when he was forced into exile.

1945- Juan Jose Areval was elected president. He introduced many reforms. He also spent money on education and hospitals. However there were many attempts to overthrow him.

1951- Jacobo Arbenz succeeded him. In 1952 Arbenz introduced a law that land lying unused (including that belonging to the United Fruit Company) would be redistributed to the poor. The company would be compensated but the amount of compensation would be based on the value of the land they had given for tax purposes (which was a fraction of its real value). So the CIA orchestrated an invasion of Guatemala led by two Guatemalan officers. Arbenz was forced to step down.

2002- Guatemala and Belize settle their long-standing border disputut

(Today Guatemala is still a very poor country and the economy relies on agriculture. Guatemala is also a very unequal society. Although poverty remains at least rates of literacy have improved. Guatemala is steadily developing. Still Guatemala has great potential for tourism. Today the population of Guatemala is 14 million.)

Recent issues include violent protests, squaters, tropical storms, drug trafficing etc

1776 The current capital, Guatemala City, is founded.

1821- Guatemala became independent of Spain. Becomes part of Mexico but then

1823- Guatemala became part of the United Provinces of Central America with Nicaragua, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Honduras

1839- union broke up; full independence

1830

1523 AD

2015

2000 BC

1960

Spanish Guatemala

1839- an uprising took place and a man named Rafael Carrera came to power. The changes introduced by the liberal regime were swept away.

1871- Liberals took power in Guatemala again and

1872- Rufino Barrios became president (became dictator). Barrios restricted the power of the church. He also greatly increased coffee production. He created coffee plantations in Guatemala, which were owned by a small elite and were worked by the indigenous people

1523- Pedro de Alvarado was sent with a force of Spaniards to Guatemala. The Spaniards had a great technological advantage over the indigenous people and by

1540- they ruled whole area.

The Spaniards then became the ruling class. Meanwhile the indigenous people were converted to Christianity (although they actually kept many of their old beliefs) and the church became very rich and powerful in Guatemala. Meanwhile society in Guatemala was divided with those people born in Spain at the top. People of Spanish descent born in Guatemala were second in rank. Next came those of mixed race. At the bottom were indigenous people.

Castillo Armas became the next president of Guatemala. He undid all the reforms. Furthermore anyone who could not read and write (most of the population) was deprived of the right to vote). Effectively the poor majority were disenfranchised.

1960s and 1970s- industry in Guatemala developed but dire poverty remained. A series of repressive regimes ruled but rebel guerrillas began fighting and thousands died in political violence in Guatemala. The violence reached a peak in the early 1980s however civilian rule returned in

1986 when Vinicio Cerezo was elected president. The bloodshed in Guatemala diminished but it did not end entirely. The killing finally ended in

1996 when peace accords were signed. The civil war in Guatemala may have cost 200,000 lives.