GuateMaya
Guatemala
The Maya civilization flourished throughout much of Guatemala and the surrounding region for close to 2,000 years before the Spanish arrived. Most of the great Classic Maya cities of the Petén region of Guatemala's northern lowlands were abandoned by AD 1000. The states of the central highlands, however, were still flourishing until the arrival of the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado who brutally subjugated the native states in 1523-1527.
The Era of Spanish Rule
During Spanish colonial rule, most of Central America came under the control of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. The first colonial capital of Guatemala, now called Ciudad Vieja, was ruined by floods and an earthquake in 1542. Survivors founded a second city of Guatemala, now known as La Antigua, in 1543. In the 17th century, Antigua Guatemala became one of the richest capitals in the New World. Always vulnerable to volcanic eruptions, floods, and earthquakes, Antigua was destroyed by two earthquakes in 1773, but the remnants of its Spanish colonial architecture have been preserved as a national monument. The third capital, modern Guatemala City, was founded in 1776, after Antigua was ordered to be abandoned.
The 19th Century
Guatemala gained independence from Spain on September 15, 1821; it briefly became part of the Mexican Empire and then for a period belonged to a federation called the United Provinces of Central America, until the federation broke up in civil war in 1838-1840. Guatemala's Rafael Carrera was instrumental in leading the revolt against the federal government and breaking apart the Union. Carrera dominated Guatemala through 1865, backed by conservatives, powerful landowners, and the Church. Guatemala's "Liberal Revolution" came in 1871 under the leadership of Justo Rufino Barrios, who worked to modernize the country, improve trade, and introduce new crops and manufacturing. During this era coffee became an important crop for Guatemala. Barrios had ambitions of reuniting Central America and took the country to war in an unsuccessful attempt to attain this; he died on the battlefield in 1885.
The 20th Century
The United Fruit Company (UFC) started becoming a major force in Guatemala in 1901 during the long presidency of Manuel José Estrada Cabrera. Government was often subservient to Company interests. While the company helped with building some schools, they also stood in the way of progress, such as when they opposed building highways because this would compete with their railroad monopoly. The UFC controlled more than 40% of the country's best land and the port facilities.
