Editing History of Guatemala (section)

== Colonial era ==
The [[Colonialism|colonial]] era in the history of Guatemala spans from 1524, when the Spaniards conquered the region, to 15 September 1821, when Guatemala gained independence from the Spanish Empire.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Webre |first=Stephen |date=27 Mar 2019 |title=Guatemala (Colonial Period) |url=https://www.oxfordbibliographies.com/display/document/obo-9780199766581/obo-9780199766581-0209.xml |access-date=27 May 2023 |website=Oxford Bibliographies}}</ref>

=== Spanish conquest of Guatemala ===
[[File:Centroamerica prehispanica siglo XVI.svg|thumbnail|Central America in the 16th century, before the Spanish conquest]]
{{Main|Spanish conquest of Guatemala}}
{{see also|Spanish conquest of Petén}}
Second-in-command to [[Hernán Cortés]], [[Pedro de Alvarado]] was sent to the [[Guatemala]] highlands with 300 Spanish foot soldiers, 120 Spanish horsemen, and several hundred Cholula and Tlascala auxiliaries.<ref>"[http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/alvarado_pedro_de.htm Pedro de Alvarado] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090522221530/http://www.thepirateking.com/bios/alvarado_pedro_de.htm |date=22 May 2009 }}", ThePirateKing.com (accessed 2 February 2010).</ref>

Alvarado entered Guatemala from [[Soconusco]] on the Pacific lowlands, heading for Xetulul Humbatz, [[Zapotitlán, Jutiapa|Zapotitlán]]. He initially allied himself with the [[Kaqchikel people|Kaqchikel]] nation to fight against their traditional rivals, the [[K'iche' people|K'iche']]. Pedro de Alvarado began his conquest in Xepau, [[Olintepeque]], defeating 72,000 K'iche' men led by Prince [[Tecún Umán]] (now Guatemala's national hero).

Alvarado then moved to [[Q'umarkaj]], (Utatlán), the K'iche' capital, and burned it on 7 March 1524. He proceeded to [[Iximche]], establishing a base near [[Tecpán Guatemala|Tecpán]] on 25 July 1524. From there, he led several campaigns to other cities, including Chuitinamit, the capital of the [[Tz'utujil people|Tzutuhils]] (1524); [[Mixco Viejo]], capital of the [[Poqomam people|Poqomam]]; and [[Zaculeu]], capital of the [[Mam people|Mam]] (1525). He was named captain general in 1527.

Having secured his position, Alvarado turned against his allies, the Kaqchikels, confronting them in several battles until they were subdued in 1530. Battles with other tribes continued until 1548, when the [[Q'eqchi' people|Q'eqchi']] in Nueva Sevilla, [[Izabal Department|Izabal]], were defeated, leaving the Spanish in complete control of the region. Not all native tribes were subdued through violence; [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] pacified the [[Q'eqchi' people|Kekchí]] in [[Alta Verapaz]] without bloodshed.

After more than a century of colonisation, mutually independent Spanish authorities in Yucatán and Guatemala made various attempts to subjugate Petén and neighbouring parts of what is now Mexico. In 1697, the Spanish finally conquered [[Nojpetén]], capital of the [[Itza Maya]], and [[Zacpetén]], capital of the [[Kowoj]] Maya. Due to Guatemala's location on the Pacific American coast, it became a trade node in commerce between Asia and Latin America, serving as a supplementary trade route to the [[Manila Galleons]].<ref>[https://www.academia.edu/44625493/Connecting_China_with_the_Pacific_World Connecting China with the Pacific World By Angela Schottenhammer](2019) (pp. 144-145)</ref>