History of Honduras

A Brief Account of the Central American Nation To 1900

Sep 22, 2009

The Central American country of Honduras has shown resilience in the face of conquerors, revolutions, and civil wars.

Well before Spaniard explorers or conquerors set foot on the shores of Honduras, the area was home to many culturally diverse indigenous tribes. Among the most significant peoples of the area were the Garifuna, Lenca, Pech and Miskito (or Misquito). Of all these, perhaps the most noteworthy were the Maya, who in the region were referred to as the Ch'orti'.

Home of an Ancient Jewel of the Mayan World

Together with El Salvador, Honduras made up the southernmost reach of Mayan civilization. Known as Xukpi to the Ch’orti’, the ancient city of Copán located near the Guatemalan border in western Honduras, is often referred to as “the Athens of the Maya world” due in large part to its beauty and artistry.

By the ninth century A.D. the vast Maya Empire was in steady decline. Preceding the arrival of the Europeans, the predominant indigenous people of Honduras belonged to the Lenca tribe.

Lempira’s Resistance

Honduras (meaning “depths” in Spanish), was named by Christopher Columbus on his final voyage to the New World in 1502. Shortly following Columbus’ landing at what is now the town of Trujillo, the indigenous people of the area, the Lenca, put up a brave, but futile resistance to Spanish colonization. The young Lenca chief, Lempira, led a strong and forceful rebellion against the gold and silver-thirsty Spaniards. The uprising which united roughly 200 rival tribes almost succeeded in expelling the Spanish from Honduras, but the capture and murder of Lempira suppressed further efforts of the resistance.

Honduras Declares its Independence

Along with its Central American neighbors – Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala and Nicaragua – Honduras declared independence from Spain on September 15, 1821. For the two years following Honduras’ break from its European ruler, it along with the four other Central American former Spanish colonies were annexed to the Mexican Empire.

The Federal Republic of Central America

Separating itself from the Mexican Empire, Honduras became a part of the Republica Federal de Centroamerica (Federal Republic of Central America) in 1823 and remained in it until the republic disintegrated in 1838. During the 15 years of its union, the Federal Republic of Central America was plagued with political squabbles and internal strife. Many political leaders attempted to strengthen and revitalize the union to no avail. The efforts to maintain the loose confederation made by Honduran-born general and three time president of the Federal Republic of Central America, Jose Francisco Morazan Quezada, were so unpopular that he was arrested and executed by firing squad.

General Francisco Ferrara 1841

The first constitutional president of Honduras, Francisco Ferrera, assumed control of the nation on the 1st of January, 1841. The country would remain under conservative rule for the next 30 years.

Liberal Rule Welcomes Foreign Money

By 1880, Honduras was firmly under liberal control which encouraged foreign investment and economic growth. It was during this time that the Honduran capital was officially moved from the west-central city of Comayagua - one of the central cities of colonial Honduras - to Tegucigalpa, the largest city in country.

Towards the close of the 19th century, United States based companies had large land holding in Honduras primarily in the form of banana plantations. This investment and the protection thereof, encouraged US involvement in the on-again off-again revolutions that would plague the region for years to come.

The copyright of the article History of Honduras in Latin American History is owned by Elvira Nieto. Permission to republish History of Honduras in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.