I
read in one source that, during the battle of St. George's Caye,
buccaneers, British settlers, and freed slaves were able to defeat
forces from the Spanish navy, who had attacked in an effort to kick
the Brits out of Central America.
I
read in another source that British military officers from Jamaica (a
British colony) trained and led into battle the “Baymen,”
wood-cutters from Britain, who lived and worked in Central America,
and that they also armed African slaves to fight against the
Spaniards. Not freed slaves—men who were still enslaved. And not
one mention of a pirate at all.
The
first story (buccaneers-and-freed-slaves) was super brief and gave no
source for its information.
The
second story (no buccaneers-and-still-enslaved-men) was more likely,
included far more details, and had footnotes with citations of its
sources.
Sigh.
I liked the freed-slaves-plus-swashbuckling-pirates story more!
At
any rate, on this date in 1798, the British turned away the Spanish
attack and more firmly established British colonization of what
became British Honduras and later Belize.
Celebrate!
This
holiday is celebrated by many in Belize with a beauty pageant, a
parade, a tug-of-war competition, a children's bicycle race, a
fishing tournament, and of course lots of holiday foods and
beverages!
Learn
more about Belize with this, that, and this other
earlier posts.
Also
on this date:
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