History of Honduras

The western-central part of Honduras was inhabited by the Lencas, the central north coast by the Tol, the area east and west of Trujillo by the Pech (or Paya), the Maya and Sumo.

Archaeological sites include Naco [es], La Sierra, and El Curruste in the northwest (thought to have been populated by Western Jicaque speakers), Los Naranjos north of Lake Yojoa, Tenampúa and Yarumela in the Comayagua valley.

Despite being outside the Mesoamerican area, studies reveal that the city had Mayan elements, like a ball game, and some pyramidal structures similar to the ones found in western Honduras.

In 1823, a revolution in Mexico ousted Emperor Agustín de Iturbide, and a new Mexican congress voted to allow the Central American Intendencies to decide their own fate.

Among the most important figures of the federal era include the first democratically elected president in Honduras, Dionisio de Herrera, a lawyer, whose government, begun in 1824 established the first constitution, after him became the presidential period of Gen. Francisco Morazán, Federal President 1830–1834 and 1835–1839, whose figure embodies the ideal American Unionist, and José Cecilio del Valle, editor of the Declaration of Independence signed in Guatemala on 15 September 1821 and Foreign Minister of foreign policies in Mexico in 1823.

The project stalled due to difficulties in the work, corruption and other issues, and in 1888, ran out of money when it reached San Pedro Sula, resulting in its growth into the nation's main industrial center and second largest city.

[19] With the assistance of Salvadoran troops, Manuel Bonilla tried to resist, but in March his forces were decisively beaten in a battle notable for the introduction of machine guns into Central America.

This Nicaragua-assisted invasion by Honduran exiles strongly displeased the United States government,[20] which concluded that Zelaya wanted to dominate the entire Central American region,[20] sent marines to Puerto Cortes to protect the banana trade.

[20] In 1901, Vaccaro Brothers established offices in La Ceiba and Salado and eventually controlled the banana industry between Boca Cerrada and Balfate (an area of about 80 kilometers of coastline).

[28] Young's investigations clearly demonstrated the desperate need for major financial reforms in Honduras, whose always precarious budgetary situation was considerably worsened by the renewal of revolutionary activities.

The long-fragmented conservatives reunited as the National Party of Honduras (Partido Nacional de Honduras—PNH),[28] which ran as its candidate General Tiburcio Carías Andino,[28] the governor of the department of Cortés.

[28] The liberal PLH was unable to unite around a single candidate and split into two dissident groups, one supporting former president Policarpo Bonilla,[28] the other advancing the candidacy of Juan Angel Arias.

[28] In February the United States, warning that recognition would be withheld from anyone coming to power by revolutionary means, suspended relations with the López Gutiérrez government for its failure to hold elections.

[28] Even the presence of the USS Denver and the landing of a force of United States Marines were unable to prevent widespread looting and arson resulting in over US$2 million in property damage.

[28] An agreement was worked out that provided for an interim presidency headed by General Vicente Tosta, who agreed to appoint a cabinet representing all political factions and to convene a Constituent Assembly within ninety days to restore constitutional order.

[28] To put pressure on Tosta to conduct a fair election, the United States continued an embargo on arms to Honduras and barred the government from access to loans—including a requested US$75,000 from the Banco Atlántida.

[28] Furthermore, the United States persuaded El Salvador, Guatemala, and Nicaragua to join in declaring that under the 1923 treaty provision, no leader of the recent revolution would be recognized as president for the coming term.

[30] Because conflicts between these companies had frequently led to support for rival groups in Honduran politics, had produced a border controversy with Guatemala, and may have even contributed to revolutionary disturbances, this merger seemed to promise greater domestic tranquility.

[32] Most of Carías's first term in office was devoted to efforts to avoid financial collapse, improve the military, engage in a limited program of road building, and lay the foundations for prolonging his own hold on power.

[32] In addition to the dramatic drop in banana exports caused by the depression,[32] the fruit industry was further threatened by the outbreak in 1935 of epidemics of Panama disease (a debilitating fungus) and sigatoka (leaf blight) in the banana-producing areas.

[32] During his presidency, Carías cultivated close relations with his fellow Central American dictators,[32] generals Jorge Ubico in Guatemala, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez in El Salvador, and Anastasio Somoza García in Nicaragua.

[32] Relations were particularly close with Ubico,[32] who helped Carías reorganize his secret police and also captured and shot the leader of a Honduran uprising who had made the mistake of crossing into Guatemalan territory.

The first sighting of a German U-boat by the air force occurred on 24 July 1942 and was attacked by planes with 60-pound bombs, being the first and possible only official record of a military confrontation between Honduras and Nazi Germany.

[32] Exiled opposition figures were allowed to return to Honduras,[32] and the PLH, trying to overcome years of inactivity and division,[32] nominated Zúñiga Huete, the same individual whom Carías had defeated in 1932.

Though spared the bloody civil wars wracking its neighbors, the Honduran army quietly waged a campaign against Marxist–Leninist rebels such as the Cinchoneros Popular Liberation Movement, notorious for kidnappings and bombings,[37] and many non-militants.

His administration substantially increased Central Bank net international reserves, reduced inflation to 12.8% a year, restored a better pace of economic growth (about 5% in 1997), and held down spending to achieve a 1.1% non-financial public sector deficit in 1997.

On 27 June, a day before the election, Zelaya followed by a big group of supporters entered the base and ordered, as Commanding Officer of the Armed Forces, for the ballots and polls to be returned to him.

[46] Inaugurated on 27 January 2010, Porfirio "Pepe" Lobo Sosa and his administration focused throughout the first year for foreign recognition of presidential legitimacy and Honduras's reinstitution in the OAS.

[48] After the presidential period of Lobo Sosa, Juan Orlando Hernández defeated Xiomara Castro, wife of ousted former president Manuel Zelaya, in the general elections in 2013.

[56] In April 2022, former president of Honduras, Juan Orlando Hernández, who served two terms between 2014 and January 2022, was extradited to the United States to face charges of drug trafficking and money laundering.

Mayan representative hieroglyphic of the Yax Kuk Mo Dynasty that later would become the emblem of the Kingdom of " Oxwitik " also known as Copán.
First coat of arms of Honduras given by the emperor Charles I of Spain an 5th of the Holy Roman empire . By the time of the colonial era Honduras suffered a demographic change due the arrival of Spanish immigrants
One of the Pyramids of Los Naranjos , considered the oldest structures of Honduras.
Pyramid 102 of Yarumela , one of the oldest Honduran archeological sites.
Coat of Arms of Trujillo, one of the oldest towns founded by the Spanish in Honduras.
After the fall of Tenochtitlan , Hernán Cortés made his journey to the region of las Hibueras , modern day Honduras.
Painting depicting the chief Lempira fighting against a conquistador
The church of la Merced in the city of Comayagua was the first Cathedral of Honduras in 1550 and is the oldest Honduran church still standing.
Cathedral of Saint Michael Archangel in Tegucigalpa was built during the XVIII century.
European pirates, especially British, French, and Dutch attacked Honduran towns during the colonial era.
Map of the town of Trujillo from the 16th century.
The flag of the British protectorate of The Miskito Coast .
Coat of arms of the Miskito royal family.
The Fortress of San Fernando de Omoa
La Merced plaza of Comayagua after the independence from Spain.
Central American president General Francisco Morazán Quezada .
Flag of the Central American Federation that lasted until 1839.
San Cristóbal fortress , in the city of Gracias, built during the 19th century.
Oldest train still preserved in Honduras.
President Manuel Bonilla.
Honduran armed conflict of 1907.
The Central American peace conference in 1907.
Tegucigalpa in 1910.
Train station in La Ceiba during the 1920s. The locomotives were one of the main means of transportation in Honduras during the 20th century.
Agriculture and trade of Honduras, a manual published in the early XX century.
General Luis Bogran.
Tela 's railroad company building, built in 1919.
Port of Amapala.
Old presidential palace of Honduras.
Honduran army in 1926.
The dictatorship of Carias Andino is remembered as the longest dictatorship that Honduras has ever had
The SS Contessa , a Honduran ship that participated in the Operation Torch in the north African campaign in the Second World War.
Honduran National Congress, built during the 1950s
In 1986 Honduras bombed two Nicaraguan towns.
American troops arriving in Honduras in 1988 during Operation Golden Pheasant.
Tegucigalpa after the Mitch Hurricane.
The railroad transportation suffered a lot of economic issues and disadvantages during the 2000s, it was not until 2010 passenger trains where reactivated.
After the 2009 coup d'état, the military presence in the streets began to be more common.
City of Comayagüela in the 2010s
Xiomara Castro became the first woman to gain a presidential charge in Honduras.