Belizean History Study Guide, Test #4 Ms. Vianney Novelo
THE BRITISH EMPIRE
-Controlled 23% of the worlds land
-Queen Victoria = doubled its size
-"Empire on which the sun never sets" means that the British Empire
was once so expansive that there was always some part of it that was
sunny.
THE BRITISH IN BRITISH HONDURAS
-England began to make efforts at establishing a presence beyond the Ocean. John Cabot started one of the early expeditions across the Atlantic Ocean to look for a trade route to China
-British pirates first settled in an area known as Laguna de Terminos, within the Yucatan Peninsula before coming to British Honduras
BRITISH-SPANISH EARLY NEGOTIATIONS
-the British decided to stay within this area to harvest logwood which is also known as Palo de Campeche or Palo de tinte. This raw material was very valued since it could produce various colours of dye ( black, blue, purple, gray, violet, red, and green)
LOCATION LAWS
-The location land laws were the system of land distribution used by the early settlers
-small number of rich, white landlords owned most of the forested lands; they were called the “Forestocracy”
- 1765 rules for claiming land: (logwood)
1. When a person finds an unoccupied logwood spot, he builds his hut and that spot shall be deemed his property. Following the line of the river.
2. No inhabitant shall claim a double portion of logwood works (under pretence of a partner)
-Location Laws: (mahogany)
1. Each and every ten able negro men slaves provided for two years of work or more
2. If a location is not possessed or occupied within 6 months the locations is to be deemed unoccupied.
-Treaty of Paris right to cut logwood was given to the British, Spanish ownership of the land was still kept.
-Treaty of Versailles. Spain allowed the Baymen to cut logwood (Belize and Hondo River)
-Convention of Londonextended the boundary southwards to the Sibunriver. TheBaymen could now cut and load logwood and Mahogany.
Logwood decline / Demand for Mahoganyartificial product that replaced dye. / Furniture industry
Overproduction / Ship building
Price went down / Railroad
EARLY FORMS OF GOVERNMENT
-Before there was any sort of law system, the British settlers created an organization referred to as the “Customs of the bay”.
-Admiral Sir William Burnaby, came to rewrite the customs of the bay. These new laws were referred to as the Burnaby’s Code.
THE BRITISH CAMPS
-As the loggers progressively uncovered the shoreline areas, they were forced to go deeper in land to cut.
-Work was seasonal
-As the British began to expand their territory, they began to have contact with the Maya people.
-The British began to call the Maya as the “wild Indians”, and in fact the Maya went from being noted as ignorant and harmless to being seen as a threat to the British