3 - Costs of Protection: Securing Belizean Borders during Maximilian’s Empire in Mexico, 1864–1867

Summary

The 1860s marked a period of uncertainty in both Mexico and Belize. In Mexico, monarchy returned in the form of the empire of Maximilian I. The impact on Belize was almost immediate. As the new government in Mexico issued decrees claiming Belizean territory, the colony fell prey to raiders who now had an imperial justification to their incursions on British soil. The Maya living at Chichanhá had turned pacíficos joining hands with the Mexican government against their common enemy – the Santa Cruz Maya. These pacíficos first located at Chichanhá and then at Icaiche threatened the security of Belize’s borders and remained the most important cause of instability in the region in the 1860s. From appeals to the British Crown to schemes for introducing Texas Rangers in the colony, the period between 1864 and 1867 saw the Belizean government exploring various options for protecting the colony’s borders. While the difficult question of defining Belize’s borders with Mexico remained on the back burner, the Maximilian years saw Belizean authorities grappling with the practical problems of ensuring order in a disputed region. Metropolitan neglect necessitated interethnic alliances as colonial officials explored alliances with Maya groups as a means of protecting the colony’s borders.