The Independence of Honduras

Independence:

During the first millennium, Honduras was inhabited by the Maya. Columbus explored the country in 1502. Honduras, with four other Central American nations, declared its independence from Spain in 1821 to form a federation of Central American states. 

The Battles:

A major problem for Spanish rulers of Honduras was the activity of the English along the northern Caribbean coast. These activities began in the late 16th century and continued into the 19th century. In the early years, Dutch as well as English corsairs (pirates) attacked the Caribbean coast, but as time passed the threat came almost exclusively from the English. In 1643 one English expedition destroyed the town of Trujillo, the major port for Honduras, leaving it virtually abandoned for over a century.  Beginning in the 17th century, English efforts to plant colonies along the Caribbean coast and in the Islas de la Bahía threatened to cut Honduras off from the Caribbean and raised the possibility of the loss of much of its territory. The English effort on the Honduran coast was heavily dependent on the support of groups known as the Zambo and the Miskito, racially mixed peoples of native American and African ancestry who were usually more than willing to attack Spanish settlements.

Main Struggles:

Honduras was originally inhabited by indigenous tribes, the most powerful of which were the Maya. The western-central part of Honduras was inhabited by the Lenca. These autonomous groups had their conflicts but maintained their commercial relationships with each other and with other populations as distant as Panama and Mexico. On July 30, 1502, Christopher Columbus first saw Honduran soil and he claimed the territory in the name of his sovereigns, Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. He named the area "Honduras" (meaning "depths") for the deep water off the coast. In 1523 the first expeditionary forces arrived under the command of Gil Gonzales de Avila, who hoped to rule the new territory. A major problem for Spanish rulers of Honduras was the activity of the English along the northern Caribbean coast.

 

Important people:

On July 30, 1502, during his fourth and last trip through the Americas, Christopher Columbus reached the Bay Islands and soon afterwards the coast of the mainland. This was the first time he saw Honduran soil. The first expeditionary forces arrived in Honduras in 1523 under the command of Gil Gonzáles de Avila, who hoped to rule the new territory.              
                                       

Outcome:

There had been at least five uprisings in Central America during the early 19th century, two of them based in Honduras.  The provinces of Central America declared and gained independence from Spain in September 15th, 1821. The Central American provinces enjoyed a very short independence.  The social elite of Centralamerica felt that independence had been declared too soon and that the backing of a strong ruler was still necessary.  They were also interested in maintaining their social, political and economical status, just not as part of a colony. Also the flag was created.

The Benefits:

Honduras became an independent republic in 1839, after the definitive fall of the Central American federation.  During the later half of the 19th century and most of the first half of the 20th, the economy and politics of the country were dominated by the power of influence of American companies that established vast banana plantations on the northern coast of Honduras.  It was for this reason that Honduras earned the not glamorous nickname of "Banana Republic".

  

The Flag:

This national flag of Honduras was adopted on March 7, 1866, based on the flag of the Federal Republic of Central America. The flag consists of three horizontal bands of equal width with an overall length:width ratio of 2:1. The two outer cerulean bands represent the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, and also represent the blue sky and brotherhood. The inner white band represents the land between the ocean and the sea, the peace and prosperity of its people, and purity of thoughts. The five cerulean five-pointed stars arranged in an X pattern centered in the white band represent the five nations of the former Federal Republic of Central America (El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala) and the hope that the nations may form a union again.

Celebration: 

Every year the countries schools put on a march in just about every town throughout. The marching and singing and dancing starts early in the morning and continues with a state fair like atmosphere throughout. Parties are held by Catrachos almost all over the world. Honduras Independence Day Celebration is preceded by weeks of listening to school kids practicing their march, dance and music. Throughout Honduras you can hear drums, see children being escorted down streets by teachers in military style march practices gearing up for the show they must put on to celebrate Honduras Flag Day officially every September 6th followed by their towns parade on the 15th of September to celebrate Independence day.

   

Sources:

• Carías, Marcos. De la patria del criollo a la patria compartida. Tegucigalpa: Ediciones Subirana, 2005.
• Becerra, Longino. Evolución Histórica de Honduras. Tegucigalpa: Editorial Baktun. 1988.
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