The history of Guatemala begins with the Mayans, who – evidence shows – were present in the area as far back as 10,000 BC. The Mayan civilization consisted of a series of city-states, each ruled by a hereditary ruler, with no appointed centralized ruler, as was found in most ancient civilizations. Because of this, Mayans often fought among each other.

The Mayans ruled Guatemala until the Spanish came to the Yucatan Peninsula in the 16th century. Though some Mayan strongholds held on until the late 17th century, the Spanish finally triumphed. Under colonial control, the Roman Catholic church in Guatemala maintained the majority of the power and made most of the rules in the country.

Guatemala became an independent country when Central America broke its ties with Spain in 1821. However, it maintained its ties to Mexico until the country raised an army and claimed its independence in 1838.