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superintendent grew, while the election of magistrates ceased altogether in 1832, when
they were appointed by the superintendent. In 1854 an elected Legislative Assembly
was formed, establishing the beginnings of colonial-rule parliamentary democracy. The
assembly began petitioning for recognition as a colony, arguing that the settlement was
in fact, if not in law, already a British colony. Earl Grey, at the Colonial O ce,
supported the assembly, and Palmerston, the British prime minister, agreed. On May
12, 1862, the Belize settlements, with the boundaries that still exist today, became the
Colony of British Honduras . In 1871 the British government established a Crown colony
assembly in line with colonial policy throughout the West Indies, under the control of
a governor appointed by the Colonial O ce.
Mexican and Guatemalan claims
After the Battle of St George's Caye in 1798 Spain maintained its claim to Belize, and the
Treaty of Amiens in 1802 required Britain to hand back territory captured during the war
which was taken by Spain to include Belize. The Baymen, however, had no intention of
leaving, and in the face of increasing di culties throughout the Spanish Empire, and
Britain's willingness to assist the settlers, Spain's claim became insupportable.
Although Mexico's independence , achieved in 1821 and followed two years later by
the colonies in Central America, marked the effective end of the Spanish Empire, it
didn't signal the end of external claims to Belize. The nineteenth century was filled with
claims and counter-claims and treaties made and broken. Mexico's claim to the
northern half of British Honduras as an extension of Yucatán was unacceptable to the
British government, and after numerous diplomatic exchanges an Anglo-Mexican Treaty
was ratified in 1897.
Guatemala's claim was the source of more belligerent disagreement with Britain, and
there's no doubt that the British government shares much of the blame for the
confusion. In treaty after treaty Britain regarded Belize as a territory under Spanish
sovereignty, and long after Spain's expulsion, Britain maintained the fiction of Spanish
sovereignty. Guatemala's assertion rested upon the acceptance in international law of
uti possidetis - the right of a colony that successfully gains independence from a
colonial authority to inherit the rights and territory of that authority. For this to be
valid, however (even if Britain accepted its premise - which was doubtful), the entire
territory of Belize would have had to have been under Spanish control in 1821. Since
this was clearly not the case Britain asserted that Guatemala's claim was invalid.
In a vain attempt to reach a settlement, Britain and Guatemala signed the Anglo-
Guatemalan Treaty in 1859: the interpretation of its various clauses has been the source of
dispute ever since. The treaty, which in the British view settled the boundaries of
Guatemala and Belize in their existing positions, was interpreted by Guatemala as a
disguised treaty of cession of the territory - if Article 7 was not implemented. Under the
provisions of this crucial article, Britain agreed to fund and build a road from Guatemala
City to the Atlantic coast and in return Guatemala would drop its claim to Belize. If the
road was not built then the territory would revert to Guatemala. Although a route was
surveyed in 1859, Britain considered the estimated £100,000 cost of construction too
high a price to pay to secure the territory of Belize, and the road was never built. The
dispute was no nearer resolution when the settlement became British Honduras in 1862,
and Article 7 remained a cause of rancour and disagreement for decades. Finally, in 1940,
1893
1919
1931
Mexico renounces
its claim to Belizean
territory and signs peace
treaty
Riots in Belize City by black
servicemen spark the “black
consciousness” movement
2500 people die in the deadliest hurricane
in Belizean history, which makes landfall in
Belize City on September 10, the country's
national holiday
 
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