Fact sheets > History

Central American history goes back before Columbus, just like in North America.

Before Columbus arrived in 1502, indigenous peoples - some of them going back at least 10,000 years and 1dh century immigrants from Mexico - had already established a kind of Aztecan culture in what we know now as Nicaragua. The country was named after the largest group among these indigenous peoples, the Nicarao (nik-ah-RAH-oh). The Nicarao lived in the Pacific lowlands, where they grew corn, sweet potatoes, and cacao beans, and even made tortillas! They also traded with other countries in the region.

Just like North American history, most of Nicaragua's recorded history starts with the arrival of explorers - and later, conquerors - from Europe. Most of what we know about Nicaragua comes after Christopher Columbus sailed here from Spain. Columbus explored the coast of Central America, including Nicaragua's Caribbean coast, from 1502-1504.

As a result of his explorations, Christopher Columbus told the King of Spain that great wealth could be found in the New World. Conquistadors (cone-KISS-tah-doorS) (conquerors) were sent to take the land for Spain. The first conquistadors arrived in Nicaragua in 1521. These soldiers took the land from the Nicarao by force, and many of the Indians died from war, disease, and slavery.

Three hundred years later, in 1821, Nicaragua declared its independence from Spain, was part of Mexico for awhile and eventually became part of the Central American Federation. By 1838, complete independence was achieved.

Both Britain and the United States, however, maintained strategic interests on both coasts of Nicaragua. Here's one reason why: After the discovery of gold in California in 1848, many people traveled west as part of the Gold Rush. People and mining equipment traveled by sea to Nicaragua, up the River San Juan, across Lake Nicaragua, and then over to the Pacific Coast to sail north to California. This way they could avoid the difficult overland trek across North America and the even more difficult ocean voyage around South America.

In 1856, an American named William Walker came to Nicaragua, and ended up declaring himself president of the country. He declared English the official language, made slavery legal, and tried to make Nicaragua part of the United States! The people of Nicaragua united against him and threw him out the country, along with the laws he had made.

Between 1934-37, National Guard General Anastasio Samoza (ann-ah-STAH-zee-oh sah-MOS-ah) used assassination and rigged elections to get himself declared "president," although he actually functioned as a dictator for the next 20 years. Because of his power, he was able to amass a great fortune and great land holdings, which his sons used to construct a dynasty that lasted until 1979.

In 1972 a massive earthquake shook Nicaragua, and the Somozas were able to keep for themselves much of the international aid that was marked for the people whose lives were ruined by the earthquake. The nation rebelled, threw out the Somoza autocracy in 1978, and by 1979 had installed one of the rebel groups as their government. These leaders - known as the Sandanistas (san-dah-NEE-stahs) -- were named after Augusto Sandino, whose assassination General Somoza had engineered many years earlier!

Because of their socialist and liberal leanings, the Sandinista government did not meet the favor of the conversative Reagan administration in the United States. Foreign aid to Nicaragua was suspended and the United States funded a counter-revolutionary group - known as the "Contras" - to overthrow the Sandinistas. The country was engaged in a virtual civil war, resulting in thousands and deaths, environmental degradation and political instability. The Nicaraguan government resisted and persisted, even though in 1985 the United States instituted a full-scale trade embargo that lasted for five years and crippled the Nicaraguan economy.

One lasting effect of the war: People still get injured or killed by the many US-made land mines [link to disaster page] that are still buried in the countryside of Nicaragua.

In 1998, Hurricane Mitch caused widespread destruction in Nicaragua. So great was the devastation - over 10,000 people died -- that people talk about life "before Mitch," and "after Mitch."

Today Nicaragua is still recovering from the effects of years of corrupt dictators, civil war, and natural disasters. An elected government struggles to maintain the country's economic and social stability. The history of Nicaragua is still being written.