Category: Spanish Era

Aruba history and its role in the Spanish Empire’s – (anno 1522-1598)

November 1st, 2018

After its discovery by Alonso de Ojeda, Aruba became a formal part of the Spanish Empire. While the island did not receive much attention from the Spanish crown, Aruba played an interesting and strategic role in the region. With Coro (modern-day Venezuela) established as a major city and capital of the New World, Aruba saw some activity due to its proximity. However, to fully understand Aruba’s significance during this time, we need to take a broader view of the historical context.

After the discovery in 1499, Aruba automatically became part of the Spanish Empire and was included in the region known as Nueva Andalucía. The island remained under Spanish control for well over a century. During this period, the Spanish crown was focused on extracting wealth from the Americas — gold, silver, and other resources — and Aruba, without significant mineral wealth, was largely overlooked.

The rulers of Aruba under Spain (1522–1598)

From Queen Isabella to King Philip II, Aruba passed through the hands of multiple Spanish monarchs. The island held a special status — it was an encomienda, granted to Juan de Ampiés, which meant it never became formally part of the Venezuelan province. This gave the island and its Caquetío inhabitants a degree of separation from the harshest colonial policies applied elsewhere.

The Spanish presence on Aruba during this period was minimal. There were no major settlements, no fortifications, and no significant Spanish population. The island was managed from a distance — primarily from Curaçao, Santo Domingo, and Coro. The Caquetío people continued to live on the island, farming, raising livestock, and practicing the Catholicism that had been introduced after 1519.

Aruba’s strategic position

Despite being overlooked by Spain, Aruba’s position off the coast of Venezuela made it strategically relevant. The island sat along the trade routes used by Spanish galleons to transport wealth back to Europe. As the 1500s progressed and European rivalries intensified — particularly with the Dutch and English — Aruba’s proximity to the Venezuelan mainland became increasingly important.

The period from 1522 to 1598 was, for Aruba, a time of relative quiet under Spanish rule. The real changes would come at the turn of the 17th century, when Dutch merchants and the emerging Dutch Republic began to challenge Spanish dominance in the Caribbean.

Continue reading Aruba’s history:
← Previous: Chapter 2 – Last Caquetío Settlements (late 1500s) | Next: Chapter 4 – How We Became Dutch (1590–1623) →
How we Became Dutch: An Aruba history Overview (Anno 1590-1623)

October 31st, 2018
Last time we checked the Aruba history, we were under Spanish rule, which at the time was the world’s most powerful empire. Aside from occasional pirate or buccaneer raids, there wasn’t much of note happening on the island. According to most historical records, Aruba became part of the Dutch empire around 1636. But before we jump ahead, let’s rewind and explore the events that led to this shift.

The Netherlands, as we know it today, didn’t exist in the early 1600s. During that period, it was part of the Spanish Empire in Europe. We use “they” because what we now call The Netherlands was a collection of regions, or provinces: Holland, Friesland, Groningen, Utrecht, Zeeland, Gelderland, and Overijssel. Around 1568, these regions launched a rebellion, sparking what became known as the Eighty Years’ War. This long conflict ended in 1648, giving rise to a new nation: the Republic of the Netherlands.

Why Aruba became Dutch: The period between 1600 and 1636

One of the primary missions of the Dutch West India Company (WIC) was the search for salt, a crucial ingredient for preserving herring, one of the Netherlands’ most profitable exports. Around 1590, Dutch merchants from the regions of Holland and Zeeland began exploring the Caribbean in search of this “white gold.” One of their main destinations was the coastal area of Punta de Araya, which held vast salt flats. Since the Spanish had minimal defenses in the area, the Dutch were able to harvest salt here for many years without interference. However, by 1623, the Spanish retaliated, and the Dutch were expelled from Punta de Araya. Today, visitors can still see the remnants of the Spanish fort built to protect the region from further Dutch incursions. Source: gehm.es

In the previous chapter we learned that the arrival of the Dutch was more out of necessity than a desire to conquer the Islands from Spain. Aruba in this case was less important than the sister islands of Curaçao and Bonaire. Aruba lacked a safe harbour like Curaçao, and it lacked salt pans like Bonaire. Nevertheless, Aruba was part of the package, and therefore fought over between the two countries.

The founding of the Dutch West India Company (WIC)

As part of the 80 Year War between Spain and The Netherlands, the WIC was founded. Its main purposes were:
- Breaking the monopoly that Spain and Portugal had in the colonisation of the Americas
- Colonising part of the Americas for the 7 provinces of The Netherlands
- “Piracy” against Spanish merchant vessels to disrupt the supply of wealth to Spain
- Disrupting the colonial income to Spain in order to sabotage their war efforts (80 Year War)
The WIC was founded in 1621 but started operations in 1623 (remember, the 80 Year War would go on till 1648). It was not until 1634 that the WIC decided to make a serious attempt to conquer Curaçao from the Spaniards. Aruba soon followed in 1636. This was all led by Johannes van Walbeeck.

Contrary to popular belief, the islands became property of the WIC and not colonies of the Netherlands. The WIC even prohibited colonisation by individuals. The islands became sort of “farms” for the WIC. The local Arawaks were “persuaded” to work while small garrisons of WIC officers and soldiers defended the islands. It was not even allowed for their wives to join them on the islands. This debunks an important assumption in Aruban history — that the Dutch colonised us and that our Dutch Caribbean development or heritage started here. Initially, the presence of the WIC did not influence the population and culture much on Aruba.

We have to remember: the 7 Dutch regions were still at war with Spain, as part of the 80 Year War. The Kingdom of The Netherlands still did not exist. The key takeaway here is that Aruba became Dutch because of strategic and economic necessity — not because of a desire to colonise the island.

Continue reading Aruba’s history:
← Previous: Chapter 3 – Aruba & the Spanish Empire (1522–1598) | Next: Chapter 5 – Aruba as a Dutch WIC Outpost (1634–1700) →

Category: Spanish Era

Aruba history and its role in the Spanish Empire’s – (anno 1522-1598)

The rulers of Aruba under Spain (1522–1598)

Aruba’s strategic position

How we Became Dutch: An Aruba history Overview (Anno 1590-1623)

Why Aruba became Dutch: The period between 1600 and 1636

The founding of the Dutch West India Company (WIC)