Tag: Coro

Aruba history and its first encounter with Europeans in 1499

November 3rd, 2018

Without a doubt, the first inhabitants of Aruba were the Caquetio Indians, part of the Arawak tribe who migrated from the mainland and settled on the island. Archaeological excavations into the Aruba history have shown that the Caiquetios have lived on Aruba for around 16,000 years, with major settlements in what we now know as Tanki Flip & Malmok (Noord), Santa Cruz, Canashito and Savaneta.

However, as I mentioned in the introduction, my main focus is on Aruba’s history starting in 1499, when everything changed with the arrival of Europeans. The world was transformed after Columbus’ discovery of the Americas, and Aruba was no exception.

Aruba’s first European visitor was a Spaniard named Alonso de Ojeda (1466 Cuenca, Spain – 1515 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic). Ojeda, a participant in Columbus’ second voyage, later embarked on a separate mission sponsored by Bishop Juan Rodríguez de Fonseca. During this expedition, he explored the coastlines of modern-day Venezuela and Colombia, and in September 1499, he landed on Aruba. Despite this discovery, Ojeda found no gold and labeled Aruba, along with Curaçao and Bonaire, as “Isla Inútil”—Spanish for “worthless island.”

One of my primary conclusions from this chapter, based on extensive research, is that from 1499 onward, Aruba’s population became a blend of Caiquetio natives, indigenous people from the mainland, and Spanish settlers.

Continue reading Aruba’s history:
← Previous: The Real Aruba History | Next: Chapter 2 – Last Caquetío Settlements (late 1500s) →
The Aruba history of the last indigenous Caquetío settlements in the 16th Century (late 1500’s)

November 2nd, 2018

Before the Dutch came to town to shape the Aruba history in a strong way, as discussed earlier, some Caquetío were sent back to Aruba from Santo Domingo. This triggered a new immigration wave from the mainland Caquetíos. Predominantly from Paraguaná and La Guajira. One of the reasons for this new influx was the wars between the colonizers and the Caquetíos on the mainland.

In the first article of this blog I indicated not to spend too much time on the pre-Columbian period of Aruba. This part however is important for us to understand how the population of the post-Columbian period developed over time.

Recapping: the original inhabitants of Aruba were sent to Santo Domingo as slaves, leaving the island pretty much desolate. Later they were pardoned and freed by the Spanish King and the Catholic Church. Upon their return to Aruba, some Spanish had also settled on Aruba with them. Therefore, starting in the 16th century the population was a mix of original Caquetíos, mainland Caquetíos, and Spaniards.

In my opinion, this is what constitutes the last original inhabitants of Aruba before Dutch settlement in the 17th century and colonisation later in the 18th century. This was all when Juan de Ampiés was managing the islands as encomendero.

Settlement locations on Aruba

Before European contact, the areas on Aruba that had been inhabited and showed signs of villages were located in what we now know as Tanki Flip & Malmok (Noord), Santa Cruz, and Savaneta. There were other locations, but these three represent the most important ones.

In the 16th century, when the Caquetíos returned to Aruba, all literature I found indicated that they were spread around Aruba in what we now know as the same general areas. Because many of the new ones came from the mainland, they were accustomed to Spanish presence, especially the clergy. The Catholic inhabitants of Aruba fell under the Bishopric based in Coro, founded by Juan de Ampiés.

Gonzalo de Angulo, the Bishop of Coro, ordered a census of the ABC Islands in 1619. The Priest Martín Gomez reported that only a few hundred Caquetíos lived on Aruba. Even though the Caquetíos had been pardoned and freed, they were still obliged to work for the Spanish. In practice they were often forced and could still be considered slaves. Juan de Ampiés himself had a history of being an indiero — a hunter of indigenous people as slaves.

Why this period matters

Unfortunately we do not know much about the people living on Aruba in this period. It remains a challenge to really construct a detailed timeline of the population and social developments of Aruba before the arrival of the Dutch. It was not until the 17th century that many important events took place that influenced the development of Aruba — it can be considered the start of Aruba’s first major social and population developments.

One can look at these developments as positive, negative, or a combination. For me, it is what happened, and without judging I want to understand this. It can help in discovering more about Aruba, my heritage, and why things are the way they are now.

Continue reading Aruba’s history:
← Previous: Chapter 1 – First Contact with Europeans (1499) | Next: Chapter 3 – Aruba & the Spanish Empire (1522–1598) →
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) →

Tag: Coro

Aruba history and its first encounter with Europeans in 1499

The Aruba history of the last indigenous Caquetío settlements in the 16th Century (late 1500’s)

Settlement locations on Aruba

Why this period matters

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