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The Maya dominated western Honduras. Modern Hoinduras was on the southern perifery of the Myan world which was never a cntalized state like the Axtecs and Inca. The most important Mayan city-state in Honduras was Copán. The Mayan were atrading people and thus there were commerical contacts wih both the Mayan people to the north and the less sophisticated non-Mayan peopkle to the south. The Mayan in Honduras declined (early-9th century), centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. Mayan life continued on a lower level and Mayan traders were still sctive at the time the Europeans arrived. Commerce was conducted by large canoes which plied the Caribbean coast as far as Cuba. Christopher Columbus landed on the coast of modern Honduras near modern Trujillo on his fourth and last voyage (1502). He named the country Honduras because the waters was so deep along the coast. Spanish planters on Cuba with the the Native American population collapsing, raided the northern coast attempting to capture other Native Americans they could enslave. Conquistador Hernán Cortés after conquerung the Aztec Empire in Mexico, landed in Honduras (1525). He left 6 months later after failing to find another rich Native American empire to plunder, returning to Spain. Spanish planters on Cuba raided the northern coast attempting to capture Native Americans they could enslave. Pedro de Alvarado began the actual conquest of Honduras. He defeated the resistance led by Çiçumba near Ticamaya (1536). Alvarado divided the conquered native lands among his men. The natives living their essentially became slaves in the repartimiento system. Spain ruled Honduras as part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Comayagua and Tegucigalpa grew as silver mining centers. Honduras and other Spanish provinces in Central America achieved independence (1821). They were annexed by Iturbide's short-lived Mexico Empire. Honduras then joined the United Provinces of Central America (1823). Differences between the various provinces resulted in the collapse of the federation (1838-39). General Francisco Morazán attempted to hold the federation together. And even into the 20th century, Honduras was committed to Central American unity. Honduras became a separate state (1840). Britain controlled British Honduras (Belize), the Mosquito Coast, and Bay Islands. The British saw American filibuster William Walker as a threat to their territory. The Royal Navy arrested him and turned him over to Honduran authotities. An Honduran firing squad executed him (1860). An important project to build a rail line from the Caribbean coast to the capital at Tegucicalpa failed (1888). The line only reached small town of San Pedro Sula. As a result, it grew into the country's most important industrial center and second largest city. Honduras developed as a primarily agricultural country. American companies, especially United Fruit, played a major in the country's economy, founding numerous banana plantatations along the tropical northern coast. The company played a major role in national affairs. General Tiburcio Carías controlled Honduras for an extended period (1930s-40s). He was closely associated with United Fruit an military dictators in neighboring countries. Provincial military leaders began to establish control over the country's two principal political parties: the National Party of Honduras (PNH) and the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH). Banana workers along the northern coast staged aeneral strike (1954). Reformists military officers carried out a coup and sucessfully set up a provisional junta (October 1955). Constituent assembly elections resulted in the appointed of Ramón Villeda as President (1957). The Asssembly served as a Congress. The PLH was the dominahnt party (1957-63). The military evolving as a more professional institution and withdrew from politics. A new military academy graduating its first class (1960). Conservative military officers preempted constitutional elections and deposed President Villeda in a bloody coup (October 1963). The military led by General Oswaldo López exiled PLH members and governed for several years before stepping down (1970). El Salvador invaded Honduras in the so-called Soccer War (July 1969). Honduras returned to civilian rule with a democratic constitution (1982), Manuel "Mel" Zelaya of the Partido Liberal (PL) was elected president (2006). Honduyras like many Latin American countries has a bitter experience with presidents trying to make the office permanent and thus had a contitunional provision prohibiting reelection. President Zelaya pursuing populist policies, attempted to pursue a reelectioi attempot in violation of the country's Constitution. He was subsequently removed from office by the Supreme Court and escorted out of the country by the military (2009). The United States has intervened in Honduran affairs by attempting to reinstall Zelaya and has cut off assistance to Homduras as well as other actions discouraging tourists.
Honduras and much of Central America was populated by Native American peoples exhibiting wide linguistic and cultural diversity. The Maya were one of the great Ntive american civilization. They were the most advanced Native American people populating Hinduyras. They dominated western Hondurasfor perhaps two millenia. Some authoirs date the Mayan presence in Hoinduras to 1000 BC. Modern Honduras was on the southern perifery of the Mayan world which was never a centalized state like the Aztecs and Inca. The most important Mayan city-state in Honduras was Copán in western Honfuras near the Gustemalan border. The Mayan were a trading people and thus there were commerical contacts wih both the Mayan people to the west and north and the less sophisticated non-Mayan peopkle to the south. The Mayan settled on the offshore islsnds. The Mayan in Honduras and the connected Gutemalan highlands declined (early-9th century), centuries before the arrival of the Europeans. After the Mayan collapse various settled in the former Mayan lnds. Their languages sjow a cultural connectuin with the Toltecs and Aztecs of central Mexico to the north, as well as the Chibchas of Colombia to the south. Some academics claim relatiinships with the tribes of wht is now the southwestern United States. The mysterious Lencas came to dominate central Honduras. The origins of their lnguage is unknown. Mayan life continued on a lower level and Mayan traders from new centers in Yuctan were still active in what is now Honduras and other areas of Central America at the time the Europeans arrived. Commerce was conducted by large canoes which plied the Caribbean coast as far as Cuba. The Maya are were the most advanced Native American peoplke who inhabited Hinduras, but they were not the only Native americans. Archeologists have found evidence of several other Pre-Columbian cultures have been found throughout Honduras. Only a few of these sites have been studied in detail. Some of the best known are Naco and La Sierra in the Naco Valley, Los Naranjos on Lake Yojoa, Yarumela in the Comayagua Valley, La Ceiba and Salitron Viejo (both now under the Cajon Dam reservoir), Selin Farm and Cuyamel in the Aguan valley, Cerro Palenque, Travesia, Curruste, Ticamaya, Despoloncal in the lower Ulua river valley, and many others sites tht have not been explored extensively.
Christopher Columbus on his fourth and last trip to the New World discovered the Bay Islands (July 30, 1502) and then sailed along the Honduran mailand. From the Island of Guanaja, he sailed for the coast. He founded Punta Caxinas (now Puerto Castilla) he oversaw the celebration of the first Christian mass in Honduras. Along the Rio Tinto (Rio de la Posesion), Columbus claimed the new territory for the Spanish crown, Ferdinand and Isabella. This was somwhere nerar modern Trujillo. Columbus heltered his fleet from a storm in eastern Honduras. He declared, "racias a Dios que hemos salido de estas honduras!" The waters along the coast were deep and 'honduras here meant treacherous depths. Thus came the name of Cape Gracias a Dios and the territory of Honduras.
Columbus did not attempt to conquer or settle the area. This began two decaded later. Spanish planters on Cuba with the the Native American population collapsing because of lack of resistance to European diseases, raided the northern coast attempting to capture other Native Americans they could enslave to work threir plantations. Gil Gonzáles de Avila landed the first permanebt military force and began the conquest of Honduras (1523). Conquistador Hernán Cortés after conquerung the Aztec Empire in Mexico, launched his own coquest of Honduras (1524). He dispatched Cristóbal de Olid with a better organized force. Olid founded Triunfo de la Cruz and tried to establish is own independent colony. Cortés learning of this dispatched another force commanded by Francisco de las Casas. Olid captured his rivals, but was betrayed and killed by his own men,. Cortés had to actually travel to Honduras to sort out the chaotic situation in the colony (1425). He set up the Spnish colonial administration in Trujillo and then returned to Mexico, a much richer colony (1526).
Spanish planters on Cuba continued slave raids. Pedro de Alvarado began the real conquest of Honduras. He defeated the resistance led by Çiçumba near Ticamaya (1536). Alvarado divided the conquered native lands among his men. The natives living their essentially became slaves in the repartimiento system. Native american resistance to Spanish exploitation and brutality exploded in Gracias a Dios, Comayagua, and Olancho (1537-38). The Native American leader Lempira led the Gracias a Dios revolt. Other opponents of Spnish rule included Tecún Uman, Lempira, Atlacatl, Diriagúacutan, Nicarao and Urraca, As elewhere in the Americans, Native Americans in Honduras were adversely affected by lack of resistance to European diseases. This substantially reduced the population nd ability to resit the Europeans.
The most noted resistance to Spanish rule was organized by the Lenca chief Lempira. He was aenouned warrior. He suceeded in unifying more than 200 tribes that had long traditions of fiufgting each other which had aided the Spanish conquistadores. Lempira announced his plan to resist the Spanish ad expel them. He made his pronouncemet in the village of Etempica (October 1537). He issued instyructions to the tribes tht joined them. His plan was to surprise the Spaniish with a general uprisding. The plan was to give the signal from the great rock of Cerquín which was to made in the impenetrable fortress. He recruited warriors and gathered supplies. He oversaw the constructio of trenches and fortifications. He launched his revolt by killing three Spaniards. Spanish Governor Montejo ordered Captain Alonso de Cáceres to attack the Lenca stronghold, but Montejo failed in the initial effort. Montejo recruited Native Amnerican auxilleries as well as all vailalbe Spainards. Lempira still held out at Cerquín. Lempira then issued orders for a general insurrection. Raiding parties burned Comayagua. The Spanish fled to Gracias. Anmd the Spanish there were threatened by the by the surrounding tribes whob joined the rebellion. Lempira's rebels lid seige cto San Pedro de Puerto Caballos and Trujillo. Montejo appealed for assistance from Santiago de los Caballeros in Guatemala, San Salvador, and San Miguel and even from Spain. De Cáceres invited Lempira to a peace conference. When Lempira made it cear that he was prepared to drive the Spnish out of their lands, a Spanish soldier shot and killed him. With their leader killed, the 30,000 warriors he had recruited fled or surrendered. This allowed Governor Montejo to regain the Valley of Comayagua. As Comayagua city had been destroyed, it was refounded on another site. Montejo than moved against the rebels in Tenampúa, Guaxeregui, and Ojuera.
Spain ruled Honduras as part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Comayagua and Tegucigalpa grew as silver mining centers.
Honduras and other Spanish provinces in Central America achieved independence (1821). They were annexed by Iturbide's short-lived Mexico Empire.
Honduras then joined the United Provinces of Central America (1823). Differences between the various provinces resulted in the collapse of the federation (1838-39). General Francisco Morazán attempted to hold the federation together. And even into the 20th century, Honduras was committed to Central American unity.
Honduras became a separate state (1840). Britain controlled British Honduras (Belize), the Mosquito Coast, and Bay Islands.
The British saw American filibuster William Walker as a threat to their territory. The Royal Navy arrested him and turned him over to Honduran authotities. An Honduran firing squad executed him (1860).
An important project to build a rail line from the Caribbean coast to the capital at Tegucicalpa failed (1888). The line only reached small town of San Pedro Sula. As a result, it grew into the country's most important industrial center and second largest city. Honduras developed as a primarily agricultural country. American companies, especially United Fruit, played a major in the country's economy, founding numerous banana plantatations along the tropical northern coast. The company played a major role in national affairs.
General Tiburcio Carías controlled Honduras for an extended period (1930s-40s). He was closely associated with United Fruit an military dictators in neighboring countries.
Provincial military leaders began to establish control over the country's two principal political parties: the National Party of Honduras (PNH) and the Liberal Party of Honduras (PLH). Banana workers along the northern coast staged aeneral strike (1954). Reformists military officers carried out a coup and sucessfully set up a provisional junta (October 1955).
Constituent assembly elections resulted in the appointed of Ramón Villeda as President (1957). The Asssembly served as a Congress. The PLH was the dominahnt party (1957-63). The military evolving as a more professional institution and withdrew from politics. A new military academy graduating its first class (1960).
El Salvador invaded Honduras in the so-called Soccer War (July 1969).
Honduras returned to civilian rule with a democratic constitution (1982), Manuel "Mel" Zelaya of the Partido Liberal (PL) was elected president (2006). Honduras like many Latin American countries has a bitter experience with presidents trying to make the office permanent and thus had a contitunional provision prohibiting reelection. President Zelaya pursuing populist policies, attempted to pursue a reelectioi attempot in violation of the country's Constitution. He was subsequently removed from office by the Supreme Court and escorted out of the country by the military (2009). The United States has intervened in Honduran affairs by attempting to reinstall Zelaya and has cut off assistance to Homduras as well as other actions discouraging tourists.
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