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:
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