Editing Guam (section)

=== Spanish era ===
{{further|Spanish–Chamorro Wars}}
[[File:Reception of the Manila Galleon by the Chamorro in the Ladrones Islands, ca. 1590.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|Reception of the [[Manila galleon|Manila Galleon]] by the [[Chamorro people|Chamorro]] in the [[Mariana Islands|Ladrones Islands]], {{circa|1590}} [[Boxer Codex]]]]
The first European to travel to Guam was Portuguese navigator [[Ferdinand Magellan]], sailing for the [[Monarchy of Spain|King of Spain]], when he sighted the island on March 6, 1521, during his fleet's circumnavigation of the globe.<ref name=Carano />{{rp|41–42}} Despite Magellan's visit, Guam was not officially claimed by Spain until January 26, 1565, by [[Miguel López de Legazpi]].<ref name="Carano" />{{rp|46}} From 1565 to 1815, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, the only Spanish outposts in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines, were reprovisioning stops for the [[Manila galleons]], a fleet that covered the Pacific trade route between [[Acapulco]] and [[Manila]].<ref name="Carano" />{{rp|51}}

Spanish colonization commenced on June 15, 1668, with the arrival of a mission led by [[Diego Luis de San Vitores]], who established the first Catholic church.<ref name="Carano" />{{rp|64}} The islands were part of the [[Spanish East Indies]], and part of the [[Viceroyalty of New Spain]], based in [[Mexico City]].<ref name="Carano" />{{rp|68}} The [[Spanish-Chamorro Wars]] on Guam began in 1670 over growing tensions with the [[Jesuits|Jesuit]] mission, with the last large-scale uprising in 1683.<ref name="Carano" />{{rp|86}}

Intermittent warfare, plus the typhoons of 1671 and 1693, and in particular the [[smallpox]] epidemic of 1688, reduced the Chamorro population from 50,000 to 10,000, and finally to less than 5,000.<ref name="Carano" />{{rp|86}} Up until the late 19th century, Guam was encountered by adventurers and pirates, including [[Thomas Cavendish]], [[Olivier van Noort]], [[John Eaton (pirate)|John Eaton]], [[William Dampier]], [[Woodes Rogers]], [[John Clipperton]], [[George Shelvocke]] and [[Bully Hayes|William "Bully" Hayes]].

The island became a rest stop for [[whaling|whalers]] starting in 1823.<ref name=Carano />{{rp|145}} A devastating typhoon struck the island on August 10, 1848, followed by a severe earthquake on January 25, 1849, which resulted in many refugees from the [[Caroline Islands]], victims of a resultant [[tsunami]].<ref name=Carano />{{rp|151}} This earthquake was much more powerful than the 8.2 one that occurred on August 8, 1993.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Driver |first1=Marjorie |title=Carolinians in the Mariana Islands in the 1800s: selected documents from the holdings of the Spanish Documents Collection at the Micronesian Area Research Center: English-Spanish Edition (English-Spanish ed.) |last2=Brunal-Perry |first2=Omaira |date=November 19, 1996 |isbn=1878453211 |pages=12|publisher=Division of Historic Preservation, Department of Community and Cultural Affairs, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands }}</ref> After [[1856 Guam smallpox epidemic|a smallpox epidemic]] killed 3,644 Guamanians in 1856, Carolinians and Japanese were permitted to settle in the Marianas.<ref name=Carano />{{rp|157}}