In the era that Aruba was property of the WIC, from a history timeline perspective, it was quite unremarkable. That does not mean that nothing noteworthy happened. There is not much documentation to be found on these “forgotten” years. Nevertheless, here are some chapters in Aruba’s history worth telling.
Even though one tends to forget, it is interesting to realise that during this period the Dutch were at war with the Spanish (till 1648), the Portuguese, and with the English. The latter was called the Anglo-Dutch Wars of 1652–1654 and 1665–1667. In the end it resulted in the Dutch losing New Amsterdam (New York) to the English — but getting Surinam in return.
Of the three islands, Curaçao was the most important one. And Aruba was always under the shadow of its larger sister island. Nevertheless, the Dutch WIC started breeding horses on Aruba that they would export.
Pirates and buccaneers
The Dutch were engaged in various wars, such as the Franco-Dutch War and the 4 Anglo-Dutch Wars. During these periods there were many privateers or buccaneers — also known as pirates — roaming the seas between the Caribbean islands. These were seamen and sailors who would attack military and merchant vessels of a specific country with the blessing of another (privateering).
Jan Erasmus Reyning, a Dutch buccaneer, was one of them. He even served under the more famous Henry Morgan & Rock Brasiliano. Reyning’s visit to Aruba is documented — he landed on Aruba in 1677, fleeing from St. Maarten after being defeated by French Admiral Duc d’Estrées. His fame stems from the book: The Devil’s Anarchy; The Very Remarkable Travels of Jan Erasmus Reyning, Buccaneer (Dutch title: Zeer aanmerkelijke reysen gedaan door Jan Erasmus Reyning).
These visits from pirates have also found their way into Aruba’s folklore. I remember my grandmother telling me stories about fishermen seeing ghosts at night. These fishermen would tie up and hide their boats between mangroves or other vegetation on and near the beaches.
The curious diplomatic dispute over Aruba
During the 80 Years’ War with Spain, the Dutch captured Curaçao, Aruba and Bonaire for their salt pans and strategic positions off the coast of the mainland. This happened without fierce battles or dramatic events — so swiftly and quietly that the Spaniards did not realise they had lost the islands.
Proof of this is the fact that it was not until almost 100 years later that the then Spanish ambassador to the Dutch Republic, Vizconde de Herreria, asked for an official status of specifically Aruba. The Dutch replied that they did not understand the fuss — Aruba had been theirs for a long time already. The original letter still exists in the archives of Simancas, Spain.
Continue reading Aruba’s history:
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