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History of Guam
Home » Guam » Guam - History and Overview » History of GuamThe original settlers and primary inhabitants of the island of Guam were the Chamorros. However, since Guam’s second contact with Western Culture, it has had a history of colonialism. The first was in 1521 when Magellan reached the island in his tour of the world. However only 44 years later, Guam was claimed for Spain by General Legazpi, and the colonization began soon after. Guam was even a common stopping point between Mexico and the Philippines for Spanish traders. Because of this, Guam’s culture has been influenced greatly by the Spanish way of life.
The Battle of Guam during the Spanish-American War gave the United States of America control of Guam in 1989. It became, once again, an important resting point on the way to the Philippines, this time for the Americans. During this time, the Northern Mariana Islands had been forming a different reputation than had the southernmost island, especially as a protectorate for the Japanese before World War II. So in 1941, the Japanese attacked and invaded Guam, treating them as enemies, until the United States returned to fight for the island again in the 1944 Battle of Guam. Though the Northern Mariana islands were also freed from the Japanese and obtained commonwealth status under the power of the United States, their very different historical formations cause a cultural schism to still exist between Guam and the other Marianas.
In 1950, Guam became the United State’s unincorporated organized territory by power of the Guam Organic Act. The people are now U.S. citizens and have their own government structure, culture, and way of life.
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