To understand our history, we must understand the place of Belize in the world economy. Over the last few hundred years more and more countries of the world have joined together in one global economic system. But the countries that make up this world economy are not equal. Those countries that began with more wealth and power were able to control and exploit poorer countries.

The Western European nations controlled the economies of their colonies - dominated their capital, land, labour and markets. As a result, the Western European countries benefited from the profits made in the colonies. They became richer while their colonies became poorer.

Belize was totally dependent on the changing demands of the European markets. Its development- or lack of it - was defined by the needs of Europeans. Although our land was rich in resources, our people stayed poor.

In Part Two we will find out how the market forces shifted forestry exploitation from logwood to mahogany and how the early settlers monopolized the land. We will also find out how development of an import trade led to the raise of a merchant class and the suppression of agriculture, although some people did engage in subsistence farming. Part Two also discusses the role of new immigrants- Garifuna, East Indians and Mestizos in the expansion of the colonial economy.