Act of Independence from Central America

In 1519, Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortés explored lands that would eventually form the countries, Honduras and Nicaragua. Later, his second in command, Pedro de Alvarado was commissioned to settle new lands, beginning the Spanish conquest in 1523. The indigenous Mayan population, which consisted of a multitude of different tribes and ethnic groupings, resisted bitterly. Despite this, the Spanish were in complete control by 1539. With the Spanish in control, the native people were forced to work with them. However, due to European diseases that the natives had no resistance to, their numbers fell drastically.

During the early 19^th century, Spanish power began to decline as a result of the Napoleonic Wars. This led to instability in Spain, resulting in a sense of an empowerment across Central America. The authoritarian rule that Honduras had been subjected to for so long led to revolts against Spain. After almost 300 years under Spanish colonial rule, the countries of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua cut their ties with Spain and gained their independence on September 15, 1821. In declaring their independence, there was no war or blood spilling. The Act of Independence of Central America made the countries sovereign entities independent of Spain in 1821. José Cecilio del Valle, a Honduran lawyer, wrote this document, making him one of the most important figures in Central America during the transition from colonial government to independence.

Soon after these Central American countries were declared independent from Spain, they were briefly annexed by Mexico. To become independent from Mexico, delegates from each of these Central American provinces assembled at Guatemala City in 1823 to form a federal republic- the United Provinces of Central America. The delegates drew up a constitution that provided a president for each of the states, offering complete autonomy. Over time, conflicts arose among the separate nations, such as conflicting views among liberals and conservatives, and the United Provinces of Central America eventually fell. The leaders of each nation declared their independence as separate entities and Honduras was declared fully independent in 1839.

Works Cited

Haggarty, Richard A. “THE UNITED PROVINCES OF CENTRAL AMERICA.” El Salvador: A Country Study, Washington: GPO for the Library of Congress, 1988, countrystudies.us/el-salvador/5.htm.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “United Provinces of Central America.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 28 Feb. 2019, www.britannica.com/place/United-Provinces-of-Central-America.

Walker, Rhiannon. “On This Day in Latinx History: The Act of Independence of Central America.” The Undefeated, The Undefeated, 16 Sept. 2017, theundefeated.com/features/on-this-day-in-latinx-history-the-act-of-independence-of-central-america/.

By Emilee Haines