In 1565, the
Spanish explorer
Miguel López de Legazpi claimed Guam for Spain. Agat was founded between 1680 and 1684, by the Spanish Governor Don Jose Quiroga, as a military garrison for the purpose of controlling the Chamorro people and converting them to
Christianity. Many of its first citizens were brought from the internal village of Fina which was destroyed while the Spanish
pacified the island. It was one of six such settlements on Guam in the 18th century. During the 1830s, the Spanish Governor, Captain Villalobos, began constructing facilities in Agat planning to make it the island's new capital. Lack of funds prevented him from completing the project. In 1898, Guam was transferred from Spain to the United States following the
Spanish–American War. Under U.S. Naval administration, Agat was incorporated as a township with an American style
municipal government. During
World War II,
Japan occupied Guam from 1941 to 1944. During the
Battle of Guam in 1944, Agat was one of the two landing sites for
U.S. Marines. These sites are now part of the
War in the Pacific National Historical Park. The old village was destroyed during the invasion. After capturing Guam, the U.S. military constructed a new residential community in Agat for Guam residents made homeless by the war south of the original village. In August 2021, Gov.
Lou Leon Guerrero signed a bill officially changing the name of the village. ==Climate==