Costa Rica's History - Study Abroad in Costa Rica

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Costa Rica’s History

Costa Rica: Historically ‘tranquilo’ Why doesn’t it have an army? Why are there more teachers than policemen? Is it really the Switzerland of Central America?

There are some key events in Costa Rican history that you should know about if you are to have a basic understanding of the country. Some are extended periods of time and others are brief flashes that had a profound affect on the way Ticos think about themselves and others.

Pre-Colombian Costa Rica
Colonial Costa Rica
Independence
William Walker and the Costa Rican Military
The United Fruit Company and The Atlantic Railroad
Liberalism in Costa Rica
The 1948 Civil War
History Since 1948
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Iglesia
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Pre-Colombian Costa Rica

The Chorotegas were the most advanced pre-Columbian population in Costa Rica. Their ancestors originated in Mexico and migrated to the Nicoya Peninsula, fleeing from their pursuers. Interestingly, their name translates to “fleeing people.”

The Chorotegas lived in cities with populations as large as 20,000. These cities featured central plazas that served as marketplaces and religious centers. Renowned for their agricultural expertise, they used seeds as currency. Women specialized in ceramics, while men worked the fields or engaged in warfare—a constant reality of the era. Military campaigns were often waged to acquire land and slaves, some of whom were used for sacrifices, including being thrown into surrounding volcanoes. Their belief in life after death likely provided some solace for these practices.

The Chorotegas are also believed to be the creators of Costa Rica’s enigmatic granite spheres, which continue to intrigue people today. Their artistic legacy is vast and striking, including beautifully crafted ceramics, intricately carved jade figurines, and exquisite gold pieces. Many of these artifacts can be admired in the Jade and Gold Museums today.

Colonial Costa Rica

Christopher Columbus landed in Costa Rica during his fourth and final voyage. Although he did not explore the country extensively, he returned to Spain with positive reports about the region’s gold and the friendliness of the indigenous people, which encouraged other adventurers to follow.

The first attempt to colonize Costa Rica—referred to as Veragua by Columbus—was led by Diego de Nicuesa. His mission ended in failure as indigenous peoples along the Atlantic coast burned their land and crops to hinder the invaders’ advance. Tropical diseases and starvation further decimated Nicuesa’s group, reducing their numbers by half, forcing him to abandon the effort.

The second attempt at colonization was undertaken by Juan Vásquez de Coronado, who recognized the central highlands as a more hospitable location for settlement. In 1563, he founded Cartago, Costa Rica’s first capital, marking the beginning of Spanish settlement in the region.

Unlike other colonies, Costa Rica lacked a large exploitable workforce. The indigenous population had been significantly reduced by warfare and European-introduced diseases, and those who survived lived scattered across the land. This scarcity of labor, combined with the lack of gold and other valuable resources, led Spain to largely neglect Costa Rica, refusing to invest significantly in its development.

As a result, Costa Rican settlers were forced to work the land themselves, developing a self-sufficient and hardworking society. This necessity for independence became a defining characteristic of the Costa Rican people.

The population grew slowly, with little outside influence. Over time, three new cities were established in the Central Valley: Cubujuquí (now Heredia) in 1706, Villanueva de la Boca del Monte (now San José) in 1737, and Villa Hermosa (now Alajuela) in 1782.

Independence

In October 1821, word arrived that Spain had granted independence to its American colonies on September 15. It had taken a month for the news to traverse the mountains from Guatemala, the administrative center of the Spanish empire in Central America. After a brief period of internal strife, Costa Rica declared itself a sovereign state, and the capital was moved from Cartago to San José.

Juan Mora Fernández, Costa Rica’s first president, played a pivotal role in shaping the young nation. He focused on building infrastructure, such as roads and schools, and promoting agriculture by granting land to anyone willing to plant coffee. This initiative encouraged small farmers to grow coffee and sell their beans to wealthier landowners, who processed the beans for export. This system fostered a sense of mutual respect and cooperation between the wealthy and the working class—values that have endured throughout Costa Rican history.

Coffee quickly became Costa Rica’s principal export. Since coffee thrives in the highlands surrounding the Central Valley, better roads were needed to connect the region to the coast, allowing the beans to reach international markets. The wealth generated by coffee exports attracted foreign investment and drew European immigrants seeking economic opportunities.

By the mid-1800s, Costa Rica had transformed from a remote, self-sufficient colony into a more cosmopolitan state, influenced by European liberal ideologies and economic ties.

William Walker and the Costa Rican Military

William Walker was a ruthless opportunist who sought to exploit slavery to benefit his homeland, the United States. His second expedition into Latin America targeted Nicaragua, where he pursued two primary goals: to convert Central America into a slave territory annexed to the southern United States, and to conquer Nicaragua in preparation for constructing a trans-isthmian canal.

Walker’s earlier failure during the California Gold Rush of 1849 had highlighted the challenges of crossing the U.S. frontier and revealed the potential value of a sea route. His plan involved utilizing the San Juan River to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to Lake Nicaragua, leaving only an 18-mile stretch to reach the Pacific.

In 1855, Walker invaded Nicaragua with just 58 men but managed to secure his position until hundreds of reinforcements arrived. However, his ambition sparked resistance across Central America, and it was the Costa Rican people who played a decisive role in overthrowing him.

A force of 2,000 Costa Rican soldiers ultimately defeated Walker at the Battle of Rivas in Nicaragua. During the battle, Walker and his men fortified themselves in a building. A young Costa Rican drummer boy, Juan Santamaría, volunteered to set the building on fire to drive Walker out. Santamaría succeeded but lost his life in the process, becoming a national hero in both Costa Rica and Nicaragua for his bravery in defeating one of Central America’s most despised invaders.

The United Fruit Company and The Atlantic Railroad

Minor C. Keith took over the ambitious project of constructing the Atlantic Railroad, initially planned to connect Costa Rica’s central coffee plantations to the Atlantic port of Limón. Unlike his predecessors, Keith’s primary interest wasn’t coffee. Instead, he leveraged his influence with investors to complete the railroad in exchange for vast tracts of land, which he used to cultivate bananas.

The railroad’s construction, completed in 1890, relied on a diverse workforce of thousands of Jamaican, Italian, and Chinese laborers. This influx of workers permanently altered the demographics of Costa Rica. The Atlantic Railroad remained the sole route from the Central Valley to Limón until 1970, playing a critical role in the country’s development.

After the railroad was finished, many of the Jamaican workers stayed on the Atlantic coast, finding employment on the banana plantations Keith established on his newly acquired lands. Keith, along with a partner, went on to found the United Fruit Company. This corporation became a dominant social, economic, political, and agricultural force, not only in Costa Rica but throughout Latin America. Under Keith’s leadership, Costa Rica quickly rose to become the world’s leading banana producer.

However, the influence of the United Fruit Company came at a cost. The company’s treatment of its workers was harsh, prompting widespread discontent. In response, communists in San José organized labor strikes, demanding fair wages, free housing, medical clinics, and accident insurance. The workers’ collective action ultimately forced the company to make concessions, marking a significant victory for labor rights in Costa Rica.

This early labor movement left a lasting legacy, embedding socialist ideals in the country’s political and social landscape.

Liberalism in Costa Rica

The emergence of liberalism in Costa Rica stemmed from a clash between the conservative Catholic Church and a state embracing liberal reforms. In 1884, the bishop of Costa Rica openly criticized the European liberal ideas gaining popularity among the political and social elite. In response, the government expelled the bishop from the country and officially renounced a previous church-state agreement that had established Catholicism as the state religion. Despite the drastic nature of these actions, public outcry was minimal.

The liberal movement reached a turning point with Costa Rica’s first true public elections. However, the liberals were taken by surprise when the opposition garnered overwhelming support, effectively using the reforms introduced by the liberals against them. When the liberals attempted to block the recognition of the newly elected president, 10,000 citizens flooded the streets in protest. The people of Costa Rica had clearly embraced their newfound political power.

Since then, Costa Rica’s democratic tradition has endured, remaining largely uninterrupted to this day.

The 1948 Civil War

Rafael Ángel Calderón served as Costa Rica’s legally elected president from 1940 to 1944. A social reformer, many of his policies had a lasting positive impact on the country. He established the University of Costa Rica and introduced significant social reforms, including social security, workers’ rights to organize, land reform, a guaranteed minimum wage, and collective bargaining.

However, problems arose after his presidency when Calderón supported Teodoro Picado as a puppet candidate in a widely criticized and allegedly fraudulent election. This political maneuver alienated the poor, who had initially been among Calderón’s strongest supporters.

In the subsequent election, Calderón himself ran against Otilio Ulate, who represented the unified opposition. Ulate won in a close race, but the results were contested by the government, and Teodoro Picado refused to relinquish power.

This led to a civil war, with José María Figueres leading opposition forces against the government. After 40 days of fighting, during which more than 2,000 lives were lost, a negotiated treaty ended the conflict. Figueres assumed power as provisional president. Over the next 18 months, he implemented some of the most transformative reforms in Costa Rican history, including banning presidential reelection, dissolving communist labor unions and parties, abolishing the army, granting voting rights to women and Black citizens, and creating a neutral electoral body to oversee future elections. Importantly, Figueres preserved all of Calderón’s earlier social reforms.

In 1949, Figueres handed power to Ulate, the rightful president. Later, Figueres himself was elected president twice, benefiting from a law allowing non-consecutive reelection. He remains the only person in Costa Rican history to achieve this. Recognized as one of the country’s greatest political leaders, Figueres is celebrated as a national hero.

History Since 1948

Costa Rica continued its progressive social policies through the three decades following 1948, enjoying a gradual economic improvement. The government’s main policy after the 1970s was to achieve greater agricultural independence. However, this strategy led to heavy reliance on imported goods for farming, alongside a decline in the prices of traditional exports like coffee, bananas, and sugar. In addition, loans taken to improve infrastructure became due, and Costa Rica was unable to meet its obligations, resulting in an economic crisis. The instability in neighboring countries like Nicaragua and Panama also negatively impacted Costa Rica, contributing to a reputation for violence and poverty in Central America, which deterred investment. Additionally, Costa Rica’s status as one of the wealthiest countries in the region attracted immigrants from neighboring countries, creating job competition and further economic strain.

Oscar Arias, elected president in 1986, prioritized peace in Central America, earning the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts. While opinions on his domestic presidency vary, his work in Central America had a significant regional impact, fostering peace and setting the stage for future cooperation across borders.

José María Figueres, one of the youngest presidents in Costa Rican history, worked with a team of foreign-educated experts to address the country’s economic issues. However, his administration faced challenges as it attempted to implement structural adjustment programs recommended by international institutions. Although Costa Rica maintained a low unemployment rate, privatization efforts and reductions in government jobs led to some of the most severe strikes in the country’s history. Public infrastructure, including schools and roads, began to deteriorate, and the rural poor, especially small farmers, felt increasingly marginalized due to large monocrop plantations owned by wealthy corporations.

The current president, Rodrigo Chaves, who took office in May 2022, faces many of the same challenges as his predecessors. He has expressed a desire for a political restructuring to empower the presidency, believing the current system hinders meaningful change. Chaves’ administration has focused on economic growth, with notable efforts to improve public infrastructure. However, his push for change has encountered resistance, and Costa Rica continues to navigate the difficult transition to a more globalized economy.