Historical Background To The Cay (New)

His tor ica l Background to the book “The Cay”

A n o v e l b y T h e o d o r e Ta y l o r

The Car ibbean

•S E A

•I S L A N D S

•C O A S T S

A V A S T C H A I N O F I S L A N D S

•7000 I s l ands•2500 mi l es l ong•160 mi l es w ide

Curacao•I n t h e S o u t h e r n C a r i b b e a n

•O ff t h e c o a s t o f Ve n e z u e l a

•I ts capital is W i l l e m s t ad

T H E O R I G I N A L I N H A B I T A N T S

The

Arawak

Amerindia

ns.

Arawak words that became Engl ish

Some Arawak words still commonly used today are:

•barbacoa (barbecue) •hamaca (hammock) •canoa (canoe) •tabaco (tobacco) •yuca (yucca) •huracan (hurricane)

T h e fi r s t

E u r o p e a n s

t o s e e t h e

i s l a n d

w e r e a

S p a n i s h

e x p e d i t i o

n i n 1 4 9 9.

The Europeans are coming!

I n d e n t u r e d S e r v i t u d e

T h e S p a n i a rd s

ex p o r t e d m o s t

o f t h e

i n d i g e n o u s

p o p u l a t i o n t o

o t h e r c o l o n i e s

w h e re w o r ke r s

w e re n e e d e d .

E x t i n c t i o n o f a Pe o p l e

T h e A r a w a k

A m e r i n d i a n

s w e r e

w i p e d o u t

b y S p a n i s h

d i s e a s e s

s u c h a s

s m a l l p o x

a n d

m e a s l e s .

W i l l e m s t a d , C u r a c a o

T h e

i s l a n d

w a s

o c c u p i e d

b y t h e

D u t c h i n

1 6 3 4.

S c h o t t e g a t ; S t . A n n a B a y

T h e D u t c h

W e s t I n d i a

C o m p a n y

f o u n d e d t h e

c a p i t a l o f

W i l l e m s t a d

o n t h e b a n k s

o f a n i n l e t

c a l l e d t h e

' S c h o t t e g a t '

.

F o r t A m s t e r d a m

M a n y

C a r i b b e a

n i s l a n d s

w e r e

c o l o n i e s

o f

E u r o p e a n

n a t i o n s .

A P e r f e c t H a r b o r f o r Tr a d e

W i l l e m s t ad p r o v e d q u i c k l y t o b e a n i d e a l s p o t f o r t r a d e . C o m m e r c e a n d s h i p p i n g - - b u t a l s o p i r a c y-

T h e D u t c h We s t I n d i a C o m p a ny m a d e C u r a ç a o a c e n t e r f o r s l a v e t r a d e i n 1 6 6 2.

The S lave Trade

Lake Maraca ibo

Oil was

discovered

here in

1914.

OilRo y a l D u t c h

S h e l l & t h e

D u t c h

G o v e r n m e n t b u i l t

a n e x t e n s i v e o i l

r e fi n e r y

i n s t a l l a t i o n ,

i r o n i c a l l y o n t h e

f o r m e r s i t e o f

t h e s l a v e - t r a d e

m a r k e t a t

A s i e n t o .

ATTACK ON THE LAGO REFINERY

Strategic Importance

P r o d u c e d

a v i a t i o n

g a s o l i n e

f o r t h e

A m e r i c a n s

a n d

B r i t i s h

d u r i n g

W W I I .

But…

T h r e e

t a n k e r s

w e r e

t o r p e d o e

d .

Pontjesbrug, Willemstad

Q u e e n E m m a P o n t o o n B r i d g e