Honor El Salvador Independence

15, 2017 WHEREAS, Prior to being under Spanish rule for nearly 300 years, El Salvador, meaning the Savior, was originally inhabited and ruled by the Pocomames, Lencas and the Pipil Indians, descendents of the Aztecs; and WHEREAS, The Spanish first set foot on Meanguera Island in the Gulf of Fonseca and later established the village of San Salvador, which now serves as the capital and largest city in El Salvador; and WHEREAS, Granted the title of city in 1546, San Salvador served as the Spanish seat of government in the El Salvador territory under the Audiencia of Mexico; and WHEREAS, As with every other Latin American territory under Spanish rule, the Salvadoran people were not content with the absence of economic freedoms and began to mobilize against the Spanish Crown in

1810; and WHEREAS, On November 5, 1811, when Priest Jose Matias Delgado rang the bells of La Merced Church in San Salvador calling for insurrection, the people began to band together for freedom; and WHEREAS, At that time, armies were sent from Guatemala to diffuse the uprisings of the indigenous and middle class people, though a decade later in 1821, El Salvador and the other Central American provinces affirmatively declared their independence from Spain; and WHEREAS, El Salvador immediately resisted joining a union of Central American countries, but did ultimately join with Mexico in early 1822, then the United Provinces of Central America in 1823; and WHEREAS, In 1838, El Salvador finally became an independent republic upon the breaking of the Union; and WHEREAS, Many Salvadorans have made New York their home, and this Legislative Body is justly proud to thank the Salvadoran people for their contributions to this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to commemorate the 196th Anniversary of the Independence of El Salvador from Spain on September 15, 2017.