Persisting on the overarching topic of Spanish colonialism in the Caribbean, looking at some Spanish settlements established is vital. Under Spanish rule, the Caribbean had transformed into a hub of international trade and commerce. Spain had created “Las Antillas Occidentales,” the Spanish Antilles or West Indies. This term includes the islands of the Greater Antilles (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico, and Jamaica). The Spanish West Indies were under Spanish control from the late 15th century until the early 19th century.
During this time, the Spanish established numerous settlements, cities, and ports throughout the region, including Santo Domingo, San Juan and Havana. These settlements were important centers for trade, commerce, and military control. They played a significant role in shaping the history and culture of the Caribbean.
Credit: Image from the public domain, sourced from Wikimedia Commons. The original publication of the image is from “Arnold’s Geographical Handbooks”, published in 1891 by Edward Stanford.
The Spanish West Indies were also a key source of wealth for Spain as precious metals were extracted from the region. The Spanish also introduced new crops and animals to the Caribbean, such as sugarcane and horses, profoundly impacting the region’s economy and ecology.
Santo Domingo, Hispaniola
Santo Domingo is the capital of the Dominican Republic. It is situated on the southeast coast of the island of Hispaniola, at the mouth of the Ozama River. The city is the oldest permanent city established by Europeans in the Western Hemisphere. It was founded in 1496 by Bartholomew Columbus, the brother of Christopher Columbus. Santo Domingo quickly became a vital hub for Spanish trade and commerce in the New World. It served as the capital of Spain’s American empire until the late 16th century. The city was also an important center for spreading Christianity in the region, with many churches and religious orders established there.
It became the starting point of most of the Spanish expeditions of exploration and conquest of the other islands of the West Indies and the adjacent mainland. Expeditions which led to Ponce de León’s colonization of Puerto Rico, Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar’s colonization of Cuba, Hernando Cortes’ conquest of Mexico, and Vasco Núñez de Balboa’s sighting of the Pacific Ocean were all launched from Santo Domingo.
It was destroyed by a hurricane, however. It was rebuilt in 1502 at its present location on the right bank of the river. Over time, Santo Domingo grew into a thriving city with a rich cultural heritage and remains an important cultural and economic center in the Caribbean today.
San Juan, Puerto Rico
San Juan was founded in 1508 by Juan Ponce de León, a Spanish explorer searching for gold and “The Fountain of Youth” in the region. As a Spanish Empire settlement, merchant and military ships travelling from Spain used San Juan as the first stopover in the Americas. As a result, a network of fortifications was built to protect the transport of gold and silver from the New World to Europe.
San Juan became a target of the foreign powers of the time. The first attack on the island occurred in 1528, when the French razed several outlying settlements, leaving only San Juan intact. Spanish troops built San Felipe del Morro, a formidable castle, in 1539. Sir Francis Drake and his men attacked the island in 1595 but were held off. In 1598, however, George Clifford and his force of English pirates managed to capture the island, remaining for several months before illness and local resistance drove them away.
Havana, Cuba
A port called San Cristóbal de la Habana was founded in 1515 by the Spanish conquistador Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar on the southern coast of the island. All attempts to establish the port failed. Eventually, the site was abandoned in favour of the city’s current location on the north coast in 1519. The new location proved to be the perfect natural deepwater harbour. Thus, the town quickly became a crucial Spanish trade and commerce center in the Caribbean. It served as a critical port for transporting goods and people between Spain and its colonies in the New World.
Havana also played a vital role in spreading Christianity in the region, with many churches and religious orders established there. Like San Juan, given Havana’s economic and strategic importance to Spain, it often came under regular attackers by buccaneers, pirates and French corsairs. A royal decree in 1634 recognized its importance, calling it the “Llave del Nuevo Mundo y Antemural de las Indias Occidentales” (“Key to the New World and Rampart of the West Indies”) and thus city walls and major fortifications had been erected to combat attackers. Over time, Havana grew into a thriving city with a rich cultural heritage. It remained an important cultural and economic center in Cuba and the Caribbean.
Conclusion
Unlike the Greater Antilles, the Lesser Antilles were not extensively settled by the Spanish during the colonial era.
Today, the legacy of the Spanish West Indies can still be seen throughout the Caribbean, from the region’s architecture and language to its music and cuisine. While the Spanish no longer hold political control over the area, visitors and locals can still feel and appreciate their influence.
References
- “Santo Domingo.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 07 May 2023. https://www.britannica.com/place/Santo-Domingo.
- “San Juan.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 07 May 2023. https://www.britannica.com/place/San-Juan-Puerto-Rico.
- “Havana.” Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., n.d. Web. 07 May 2023. https://www.britannica.com/place/Havana.
- Minster, Christopher. “The History of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.” ThoughtCo, Aug. 27, 2020, thoughtco.com/history-of-santo-domingo-dominican-republic-2136382.
- Minster, Christopher. “The History of San Juan, Puerto Rico.” ThoughtCo, Jan. 27, 2021, thoughtco.com/the-history-of-san-juan-pr-2136325.
