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The first Maya settled in Cozumel 2,000 years ago. However, during the
classic period 300-900 A.C.- a time when priests were at the top of the
social hierarchy in the Maya world and life revolved around religious
ceremonies – Cozumel became one of the most important sanctuaries in the
Yucatan region. Cozumel derives its name from the Mayan words Cuzam
(swallow) and Lumil (land of), which form the word Cuzamil (land of
swallows). The Mayan word changed with time to the Spanish name of
Cozumel. The Mayans believed the island to be a sacred shrine.
Religious pilgrimages were common
to the island especially from women who were either pregnant or wanted
to get pregnant. They pay homage to the goddess X CHEL, the deity of the
moon, pregnancy and childbirth. It was a tradition among the Maya People
in general to make the trip at least once in their lifetime to the
shrine of this goddess By 1200 D.C, in Middle Mexico there existed an
important long distance trade in which Cozumel was a key link.
It was on this island where all
kinds of merchandise arrived from far away places. Goods were
temporarily stored before being sent in canoes to other distribution
points.
It was by 1518 that the Spanish
explorer Juan de Grijalva arrived to the coast of the island on Holy
Cross Day (May 3rd), named this land as “Isla de la Santa Cruz” and
proclaimed the land as property of the Doña Johanna and Don Carlos Kings
of Spain, The Spanish arrive, to Cozumel on May 06 making a peaceful
stop on the island, received by the locals, exchanging gold and a
variety of goods.
Juan de Grijalva ordered the
chaplain Juan Díaz to offer a mass on the same place that the islanders
had a temple therefore on may 6th the first catholic ceremony was held
in México, at a location named by the Spanish like Saint John (currently
named Las Casitas (little houses), where every year mass is still
celebrated by the locals.
The visit was followed a year later
by Hernán Cortés. Cozumel was the first site touched by the army of
Hernán Cortés in what is now Mexican territory, becoming the starting
point for the conquest of Mexico. It was on this island that the long,
drawn out domination of the Yucatán started and was carried out. Between
the arrival of Cortés in 1519 and the year 1524 when the conquest
culminated, there were no large-scale confrontations between the Indians
and the Spaniards on the island.
The Mayan ruler of Cozumel accepted their domination peacefully. The
conqueror proceeded to destroy many of the Mayan temples. By the time,
Cortés left Cozumel, the ancient civilization lie in ruins. At the same
time, an outbreak of smallpox killed thousands.
By 1525 Francisco de Montejo made
a request to the king of Spain to authorize the conquest and
development of the Isla of Cozumel (Montejo was one of the captains that
arrived with Cortez 9 years prior). Don Francisco de Montejo arrives to
Cozumel On September 29 of 1527 and gave the Christian name of San
Miguel de Cozumel.
As the Spaniards became more
familiar with the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, they realized they did
not have to stop-over in Cozumel, excluding it as a port of call for
Spanish ships. At the same time, as an immediate effect of the conquest,
Mayan trade was nullified and the cult of the goddess Ix Chel
suppressed.
The islanders, deprived of their
principal economic activity, were forced to depend only on agriculture
for their survival.
By the decree of the King of Spain
of July 15 of 1583, Cozumel became directly dependent upon the Yucatan
church. Between 1519 and 1570, the island's population dropped from
40,000 to 30. By 1700 it was finally uninhabited.
Although several pirates used
Cozumel as a base of operations in the 17th century, including the
notorious Henry Morgan and Jean Lafitte, the island was not resettled
until 1848. England and Holland pirates came inside the land to capture
Indians and Spaniards as slaves.
During the caste war, refugees fled to the island. The mestizos founded
San Miguel on the west coast and the Mayans settled at El Cedral. From
mid-19th century to the beginning of the 20th, Cozumel´s economy boomed
and it become an important port.
The depression (1930´s) seriously affected the island economically, it
bounced back during World War II putting Cozumel on the map. The U.S.
built an air base for planes hunting U-boats in the mid-Atlantic and an
airport was built.
Drawn by the clear waters, frogmen
came to train and returned home with stories of magnificent underwater
vistas. Jacques Cousteau's declarations in 1960 about the richness of
the coral reef surrounding the island made underwater enthusiasts aware
of Cozumel's existence.
By 1970, Cozumel's population quickly growth to 10,000 and today the
island boasts a population of more than 75,000.
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