Some History On Costa Rica
Christopher Columbus was the first European explorer to discover the country of Costa Rica. When Columbus was in his fourth and final voyage during the 18th of September in 1502, a group of Carib Indians paddling in their canoes greeted Columbus’ crew as they were setting off the anchor. However, even before Columbus arrived in the area, early civilization had already existed there as evidenced by the artifacts found by Archeologists dating ten thousand years ago.
Countless of archeological diggings and explorations in the area helped archeologists to prove that a civilization had existed in the area even before Columbians set foot on it. A number of cultural mysteries that were thought to be owned by the early inhabitants of Costa Rica were discovered near the coast. Spherical granite bolas, with sizes ranging from as small as a baseball ball up to as a big as a Volkswagen, bus were uncovered. City ruins were found just recently at the east of San Jose. The large, ancient ruins that were discovered came complete with well-built aqueducts. Marvelous jade and gold works were also been exposed. Archeological sites in the Nicoya Peninsula and Central Highlands revealed various evidences showing influences from Nahuati and Mexican Olmec civilizations.
Four indigenous tribes already inhabited Costa Rica by the time Columbus came to the country. The Diquis, Chibchas and Borucas were residing in the Southwest coast while East Coast was the territory of the Caribs. The colonial period in the area officially started when Columbus discovered it in 1502. After that various Spanish expeditions followed suit. The tribes living in the area did not last long when the Spaniards came. Many perished from the small pox brought by Spanish settlers while others fled the area. In 1524, the very first Spanish settlement was established in Costa Rica, which was headed by Villa Bruselas.
Since indigenous labor force had been annihilated, Spanish settlers had to trade laborers from its neighboring countries, Guatemala and Panama. They followed the policy and traded African slaves to work in Costa Rica.
Among the Spanish colonies, Costa Rica was the poorest and most miserable. In fact, the country enjoyed the least Spanish influence. Since the country had very little resources to exploit, it was not a popular place to settle. Spanish settlers who came to the country were more interested in tightening their hold to Peru and Mexico where huge amount of silver and gold were being mined at the time. Juan Vasquez, who founded the colonial city of Cartago in 1562, was the first settler to successfully establish a colonial in the area.
In 1821, Mexico rebelled against the Spanish Settlers, and the rest of Central America including Costa Rica joined them. After two years, a civil war sparked among the four neighboring countries where a faction in Costa Rica chose to join the Mexicans. Sovereignty was later established when Alajuela and San Jose defeated Cartago and Heredia.
In 1824, Juan Mora Fernandez became the first elected head of state. Fernandez was famous for his land reform projects. Under the leadership of Mora, Costa Ricans repulsed the disgruntled Southern conqueror, William Walker. Walker thought he could annex Central America and transform it into a slave state.
Although military rulings had reared its head to Costa Rica a couple of times, there were no violent extremism occurred in the area unlike in other parts of Central America. General Thomas Guardia grabbed control over Costa Rica by 1870. Guardia was known for creating the most progressive reforms in the country, focusing on taxation, education and military policy.
In 1948 when Rafael Calderon denied relinquishing his power after losing the presidential election, a civil war erupted. Don Pepe Figueres Ferrer became one of the country’s most influential leaders when he defeated Calderon. Ferrer was the head of the Founding Junta of Costa Rica’s Second Republic. Ferrer made reforms on civil rights and policy, thus boosting his popularity. He created a political legacy in Costa Rica that cemented the country’s liberal and democratic values.
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