Nicaragua Colonial Records

Spanish Colonization (1522-1821)
Officially named the Republic of Nicaragua, the territory was conquered by Spain in 1522. However, it was not until 1524 that the first Spanish settlements were organized. Independence from Spain was gained in 1821, but soon Nicaragua became part of the First Mexican Empire. When that empire was overthrown in 1823, Nicaragua joined the newly formed United Provinces of Central America, which was later renamed the Federal Republic of Central America. Nicaragua finally became an independent republic in 1838.

United States Occupation (1912-1933)
The United States occupation of Nicaragua from 1912 to 1933 was part of the Banana Wars, during which the US military attempted to stop any other country from building a Nicaraguan canal. Nicaragua took on a quasi-protectorate status under the 1916 Bryan–Chamorro Treaty. In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt ended U.S. occupation.