History and Culture of Belize

Even though the Spanish ruled Belize since their arrival in the new world, they were never able to truly control the area. For them, Belize was a backwater, good only for cutting dye wood. This lack of control eventually allowed for pirates from England and Scotland to come in and find sanctuary during the 17th century. When pirating became a less popular profession, these former buccaneers turned to cutting log wood in the rich tropical forests of Belize.

From the outset of Colonization, Belize's roots were more British than Spanish. Britain gained full control from Spain in 1798, when they defeated the Spanish Armada off St. George's Caye. While the United States was embroiled in Civil War, Great Britain declared Belize to be the colony of British Honduras, against the terms of the Monroe Doctrine.

As in many other countries, Belize's economy faced decline after WWII. This eventually led for the push for independence. Self-government was granted in 1964, which allowed for the formation of democratic parties and parliamentary style of rule. Belmopan was named the new capital since Belize City was practically destroyed by Hurricane Hattie in 1961. In 1981 the country gain full independence, and officially became Belize.

Belize's independence and rule has always been threatened by the neighboring country of Guatemala, which has maintained that Belize has always been their rightful property. In 1972, during Belize's political transition, from colony to an independent nation, Guatemala threatened war. British troops stationed on the border prevented any incident, and now the call to reclaim Belize is an empty political cry in Guatemalan politics.

In recent years, the US government provided additional stability to Belize. In the 1980's the US placed invested large amounts of aid into Belize's economy. For this reason it has remain extremely pro-US. Belize is an extraordinarily peaceful country. It's standing army of 550 soldiers is testament to this stability. Due to civil wars in Honduras and El Salvador, Belize has experienced an influx of refugees from these struggles that have significantly increased the population of Spanish speakers in the country. Still, the country remains peaceful and tolerance prevails with the mix of cultures from Garifuna and British Ex-pats to Mennonites and settlers from Hong Kong. The laid back atmosphere, cultivated since British buccaneers first began hiding out here, invites visitors to slow down, relax, and just soak up the laid back rhythms of this tiny gem.

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The following availed from the Jewel in the Crown of New York State, Viz., its Library, Museum and Archives on Madison Avenue, in the City of the Assembly. Nota Bene: Very special thanks to the professionally highly gifted, the talented (yes, of course with 'grace') and the fey, while friendly and felicitous, mysteriously intuitive finder of preposterously obsured -- even occluded -- book/periodical/etc, Anelcia. (A sidebar: election of the term 'Crown' does not indicate that the original Brindisi's [formerly, in certain circles: Μπρίντιζι αθώρητος] were Tories, nor does it indicate anything, even up in the Air Apparently, of the Italian Tributary of that 'Thames' which even the casually panoptic observer/anthropologist/underground historian sees as the [intentionally] little known, albeit redoubtable, 'Brindle Futurist Sub Rosa Omni-Sappers'  -- [We  only claryfy for the unititate per The Secret History of The World, Vols. ii - xvii, Voltaire University Press; New York, Shanghai, Cardiff, Tartu, Toronto; 2012])

917.282 G7863 1962-63
British Honduras
Great Britain. Colonial Office.
key:     OCM04877991 082094
Local system #:     0005243028 NYG
Title:     British Honduras.
Caption title:     Report on British Honduras 1946-1954
Publication info:     London : H.M.S.O.,
      C-STACKS
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FYI: ~~mañana : [Madison Ave; The New York State Library Archives and Museum] Joya de la Corona de Albany, NY (Jewel in the Crown of Albany, NY) : 4/14  MICROFICHE MB (nocirc)
British Honduras. Citizens.
Control number:     NY006781115 082094
Author:     British Honduras. Citizens.
Title:     Defence of the settlers of Honduras against the unjust and unfounded representations of Colonel George Arthur, late superintendent of that settlement. Principally contained in his Correspondence relative to the condition and treatment of the slaves of Honduras, 1820-1823, and printed by order of the House of commons, 16th June, 1823. Pub. by order of the inhabitants of Honduras, and by whose resolution every member of the imperial Parliament is to be presented with a copy...To which is added (by the printer) an account of the descent of the Spaniards on the settlement in the year 1798.
Imprint:     1824
Held by:     NYSL
Subject:     Arthur, Sir George, bart. 1784-1854.
Subject:     British Honduras - History.
Subject:     Slavery in British Honduras.
Subject:     Great Britain. Colonial office. Slaves at Honduras. Correspondence relative to the condition and treatment of slaves at Honduras.
Call number:     326 Library of Congress
Location/Holdings:     MB/FF

1)       326 L697       1       MICROFICHE       MB (nocirc)
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FYI: ~~mañana 4/14
917.282 M87
Colony of British Honduras, its resources and prospects; with particular reference to its indigenous plants and economic production
Morris, Sir Daniel 1844-
Control number:     NY005243031 082094
Author:     Morris, Sir Daniel 1844-
Title:     Colony of British Honduras, its resources and prospects; with particular reference to its indigenous plants and economic production.
Imprint:     1883
Held by:     NYSL
Subject:     British Honduras.
Subject:     Agriculture - British Honduras.
Subject:     Botany - British Honduras.
Call number:     917.282 M87
Location/Holdings:     C

        Copy     Material     Location
Call Numbers for: NYSL
1)     917.282 M87     1     BOOK     C-STACKS
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FYI: ~~mañana 4/14
330.9728205 A823 73-1786
Colonialism and underdevelopment: processes of political economic change in British Honduras
Ashcraft, Norman.
Control number:     OCM00677109 082094
Author:     Ashcraft, Norman.
Title:     Colonialism and underdevelopment: processes of political economic change in British Honduras.
Imprint:     New York, Teachers College Press [1973]
Physical description:     ix, 180 p. map. 24 cm.
Series:     (Publications of the Center for Education in Latin America, Institute of International Studies.)
Held by:     NYSL
Subject:     Agriculture--- Economic aspects--- British Honduras.
Subject:     Developing countries--- Case studies.
Subject:     Belize--Economic conditions.
Call number:     330.9728205 A823, 73-1786
Location/Holdings:     C

        Copy     Material     Location
Call Numbers for: NYSL
1)     330.9728205 A823 73-1786     1     BOOK     C-STACKS
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Control number:       NY000194155 081694
Local control number:     0901850192 OCL Upgrade
Author:     Savage, Ernest Albert, 1877-
Title:     The libraries of Bermuda, the Bahamas, the British West Indies, British Guiana, British Honduras, Puerto Rico, and the American Virgin islands; a report to the Carnegie corporation of New York, by Ernest A. Savage.
Imprint:     London, Library association, 1934.
Physical description:     1 p. l., v-xi, 102 (i.e.104) p., 1 l. incl. tables., front., plates, 26 x 20 cm.
Note:     At head of title: The Library association, Great Britain.
Note:     A double table between pages 74 and 77 is numbered "pages 75-76", the blank pages being unnumbered.
Note:     "Books consulted": leaf at end.
Held by:     NYSL
Subject:     Libraries--West Indies.
Subject:     Libraries--British Guiana.
Subject:     Libraries--British Honduras.
Added entry:     Carnegie corporation of New York. cn
Added entry:     Library association. cn
Call number:     027.0729 C28
Location/Holdings:     Z

        Copy     Material     Location
Call Numbers for: NYSL
1)     027.0729 C28     1     BOOK     Z-STACKS

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