San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán's history has its origins in Mayan culture; its people are associated with the cultures of Copán and Quiriguá. In the ninth and tenth centuries AD, the Nahuas settled in the vicinity of San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán, beginning a cultural mixture leading to their indigenous language (Alaguilac). At the time of the Spanish conquest the town of San Cristobal was founded, driving the aboriginal peoples from their town to scattered settlements in the mountains. At the time of conquest, the town of Acasaguastlán was a holy and sacred place for the Indians. It did not have major construction, only mounds as in Guaytán. The Spanish used the prehistoric Acasaguastlán province for their town of San Cristobal; its central square was the site for one of the pro-independence riots of 1812. After Guatemala gained its independence from Spain in 1821, San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán belonged to the Zacapa Department under Decree 683 of April 13, 1908; with Legislative Decree 1965 of April 3, 1934 the new Department of El Progreso was established, which included San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán. Two of the finest examples of 16th-century Baroque architecture can be found in San Agustín Acasaguastlán and San Cristóbal Acasaguastlán in El Progreso.