n 1519-20, Hernan Cortés conquered the Aztec empire in Mexico. His lieutenant, Pedro de Alvarado, defeated the Maya in Yucatan. Expeditions were sent to conquer what is now Guatemala and Honduras. Cortˇs himself passed through the south-west corner of the Toledo District in 1525. Scattered settlements of Mopan and Chol Maya in that area were also devastated by Spanish incursions in the 17th century.

The Spaniards tried to control the Maya of Chetumal. Chetumal was then the capital of a large Maya area, and was located just west of present-day Corozal Town, possibly at Santa Rita. In answer to a demand to submit to Spain, Chetumal's chief, Nachankan, replied that his only tribute would be "turkeys in the shape of spears and corn in the shape of arrows". The Maya defeated the Spanish and old Chetumal in Belize became a place of refuge for Maya fleeing the Spanish rule.

The Spanish invaders moved farther south, but all attempts to control other Maya villages, like Lamanai in New River Lagoon, and Tipu, a Maya village of about 500 inhabitants near Negroman in the Cayo District, eventually failed. The Maya fought back. They burnt the churches the Spanish missionaries had built and returned to their old beliefs. In southern Belize, the Chol Maya opposed the Spanish in the same manner.

The Spanish never had lasting control over the Maya in Belize. They never settled in the area but they did cause social disruption. During the Classic Period of the Maya, the population of what is now Belize was at least 400,000. After the decline, the population was greatly reduced. Of those who remained, as much as 86 per cent died after coming into contact with the Spanish. Some were killed in war, but most of them died from new European diseases brought by the conquerors.

By the time the British came to Belize the Maya were no longer living near the coast. When the British arrived in the 17th century they did not mention any contact with the Maya. It was only late in the 18th century that their records show contact with the Maya inland.

The first British who arrived on the coast of Belize left few records. They were pirates, buccaneers and adventurers, and lived in rough camps which they used as bases to raid Spanish ships. By the middle of the 17th century these pirates began to cut the logwood they found in the area. In 1670 the Treaty of Madrid put an end to the piracy and encouraged these settlers to cut logwood. These settlers were called Baymen.

Logwood is a tree from which a valuable dye used to colour woolen cloth was made. It was the economic basis for the British settlement in Belize for over 100 years.

There was frequent conflict between the British and the Spanish over the right of the British to settle in Belize and cut logwood. During the 18th century the Spanish attacked the settlement many times, and in 1717, 1730, 1754 and 1779 forced the settlers to leave. However, the Spanish never settled in Belize, and the British returned and expanded their settlements and trade.

In 1763, the Treaty of Paris gave the British rights to cut and export logwood. But Spain still claimed sovereignty over the land. By this time the logwood trade declined, but the mahogany trade started to grow, and the Baymen continued to log the area.

On September 15, 1779 the Spanish captured St. George's Caye, where most of the settlers lived. One hundred and forty prisoners and 250 slaves were captured and shipped to Havana. The settlement was deserted until a new peace was declared in 1783. By that time, mahogany had become the major export.

New agreements continued to be made between the Spanish and British about the rights of the Baymen. The Treaty of Versailles, in 1783, gave the British rights to cut only logwood. It allowed them to cut trees between the Hondo and Belize rivers, with the New River as the western boundary. The settlers petitioned the British government, and a new agreement was signed in 1786.

This Convention permitted the Baymen to cut both logwood and mahogany as far as the Sibun River. But they were not allowed to build forts, to govern themselves, engage in agriculture, or do any work other than woodcutting. In addition, this Convention gave the Spanish the right to inspect the settlement.

The British continued to have only limited rights over the area. Then on September 10, 1798 there was another Spanish attack on the Settlement of Belize. The Spanish forces were strong, but the Baymen were more familiar with the coastal waters. This time, with the help of their African slaves, an armed sloop, and three companies of a West Indian Regiment, the British side won what became known as the Battle of St. George's Caye. The Spanish retreated and never again tried to control Belize.

In the past, some historians claimed that when the British settlers came in the 17th century, Belize was uninhabited. But we have seen that the Maya still lived in the area. As the British moved deeper into the interior they came into contact with them.

The Maya strongly resisted British attempts to take over their territory. In 1788, the British reported a Maya attack on woodcutters at New River. In 1802 some troops were ordered to "be sent up river to punish the Indians who are committing depredations upon the mahogany works". There were many such conflicts throughout the 19th century.

Despite their strong resistance, the Maya were forced back by the British. By 1839, they had retreated into the forests around San Ignacio. But they did not stop fighting. The Maya continued to attack mahogany camps and to control inland areas of Belize.

In 1866, the Maya leader Marcos Canul led a raid on a mahogany camp at Qualm Hill on the Rio Bravo in what is today the Orange Walk District. Two men died and a ransom was demanded for the captured prisoners. The Maya also demanded rent to be paid for the use of the land the British occupied. Later that year Canul's army defeated a detachment of British troops. Five British soldiers were killed and 16 wounded.

The settlers were very scared. The British sent more troops and weapons, went into Maya villages and burnt their houses and fields. Their intention was to drive the Maya out by destroying their food supplies. Over the next five years the Maya rebuilt their villages and replanted their fields. Canul and his men continued to fight. In 1870 they took over Corozal Town. In 1872 they attacked the British barracks at Orange Walk, New River but they could not capture it. Canul was mortally wounded, and they retreated. This was the last major Maya attack on the British.

The British had been determined to get the Maya from their lands so they could cut mahogany in the areas surrounding the colony. They saw them as an obstacle to their mahogany business. They felt the Maya could provide them with cheap labour, and try to prevent them from owing land. In 1867, Governor Austin ruled that "No Indians will be at liberty to reside upon or occupy or cultivate any land without previous payment or engagement to pay rent whether to the Crown or the owner of the land".

By 18XX, the British wanted to attract white settlers to the land. Refugees from the United States Civil War were encouraged to settle in Belize and farm. The Maya, who had farmed the interior of Belize for hundreds of years, were forced off their land.