HISTORY OF BELIZE, BIRTH OF A NATION
We almost became a Spanish country!
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By Alex Gamero: Belize’s history dates back thousands of years and it’s as colorful as the country’s landscape. Belize’s treacherous coral reef was the perfect hideout for pirates and buccaneers after plundering merchant ships. However, these outlaws of the sea soon realized that there were 2 very valuable commodities in the bountiful lands of Belize – logwood and mahogany. After treaties to suppress piracy were signed in Europe, these pirates soon realized it was better worth their time to dedicate themselves completely to logging, which fetched hefty prices in Europe. So they settled around Belize’s Bay and became known as the Baymen. Some took Maya women as common-law wives, starting up the famous Belizean melting pot. As the demand for mahogany increased, there was a need for a larger workforce at the camps, resulting in the arrival of African slaves.
Although there were vast fortunes to be made in the Belizean forest, there was a looming Spanish threat, which had official claim to the land. ...
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