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After their civilization collapsed, the Maya abandoned their cities and some even died. No one quite knows what the cause of the collapse was. -
During the colonial period, Guatemala was a part of New Spain now known as Mexico. Guatemala's first capital Villa de Santiago de Guatemala, now Tecpan Guatemala, was founded on July 25, 1524. -
On September 15, 1821, the Captaincy General of Guatemala (an administrative region of countries under the Spanish empire) officially declared independence from Spain.
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After Rafael Carrera was elected as Guatemalan governor in 1844, later in 1847 he became its first president as Guatemala declared itself to be an independent republic. -
This man was president of Guatemala from 1865-1871. He was seen by some as a leader who was unorganized and selfish; however his political and military presence made him powerful.
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In 1871, Justo Rufino Barrios led said revolution in Guatemala. He hoped to modernize the country, improve trade, and introduce new industries.
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After replacing Jorge Ubico, General Juan Federico Ponce Vaides was force out of office by a coup that killed about 100 people.
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This earthquake destroyed many cities and caused more than 25,000 people to die. The poor were especially affected by the earthquake because there housing was substandard.
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After several years of civil battle, the government was overthrown and General Efrain Rios Montt became president. The war continued during his presidency.
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The war ended with a peace accord between different guerrilla groups and the government. It was negotiated by the United Nations.