Editing Belize (section)

===Early colonial period (1506–1862)===
{{Further|History of Belize (1506–1862)|Colony of Jamaica}}
[[File:Territorial Evolution of Belize.svg|thumb|A map of the territorial evolution of Belize]]

Spanish [[conquistador]]s explored the land and declared it part of the [[Spanish Empire]], but they failed to settle the territory because of its lack of resources and the tribes of the Yucatán defending their land.

English pirates sporadically visited the coast of what is now Belize, seeking a sheltered region from which they could attack Spanish ships ''(see [[English settlement in Belize]])'' and cut [[logwood]] (''Haematoxylum campechianum'') trees. The first British permanent settlement was founded around 1716, in what became the [[Belize District]],<ref name="Johnson2003"/> and during the 18th century, established a system using [[Atlantic slave trade|enslaved Africans]] to cut logwood trees. This yielded a valuable fixing agent for clothing dyes,<ref>{{cite book|last=Hofenk de Graff|first=Judith H.|title=The Colourful Past: Origins, Chemistry and Identification of Natural Dyestuffs|date=2004|publisher=Archetype Books|location=London|isbn=978-1873132135|page=235}}</ref> and was one of the first ways to achieve a [[Natural dye#The rise of formal black|fast black]] before the advent of artificial dyes. The Spanish granted the British settlers the right to occupy the area and cut logwood in exchange for their help suppressing piracy.<ref name="cs"/>

[[File:St. George's Cay Day Official Holiday.jpg|thumb|An excerpt from the 1898 Gazette that declared 10 September an official holiday, [[Battle of St. George's Caye Day]]]]

The British government did not recognize the settlement as a colony for fear of provoking a [[Spanish Empire|Spanish]] attack. This delay in government oversight enabled the settlers to establish their own laws and forms of government. During this period, a few settlers gained control of the local legislature, known as the Public Meeting, as well as of most of the settlement's land and timber. The British did not appoint their first superintendent over the Belize area until 1786.

Throughout the 18th century, the [[Spanish language|Spanish]] attacked Belize every time war broke out with Britain. The [[Battle of St. George's Caye]] was the last of such military engagements, in 1798, between a Spanish fleet and a force of [[Baymen]] and their slaves. From 3 to 5 September, the Spaniards tried to force their way through Montego Caye shoal, but were blocked by defenders. Spain's last attempt occurred on 10 September, when the Baymen repelled the Spanish fleet in a short engagement with no known casualties on either side. The anniversary of the battle has been declared [[Battle of St. George's Caye Day|a national holiday]] in Belize and is celebrated to commemorate the "first Belizeans" and the defence of their territory taken from the Spanish empire.<ref>{{cite web|last=Swift|first=Keith|title=St. George's Caye Declared a Historic Site|url=http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14922|publisher=News 7 Belize|date=1 September 2009|access-date=21 May 2013|archive-date=17 April 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230417144250/https://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=14922|url-status=live}}</ref>