Sint Maarten History: Difference between revisions

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==History==
==History==
'''Early History'''
In 1493, on Christopher Columbus second voyages to the West Indies, upon first sighting the island he named it Isla de San Martín after Saint Martin of Tours because it was November 11, St. Martin Day. However, though he claimed it as a Spanish territory, Columbus never landed there, and Spain made the settlement of the island a low priority.


Ancient relics date the island's first settlers, probably Ciboney Indians (a subgroup of Arawaks), back to 3,500 years ago. Then another group of Arawaks migrated from South America's Orinoco basin around 800 A.D. Because of St. Martin's salt-pans they called it “Sualouiga,” or “Land of Salt.” Mainly a farming and fishing society, the Arawaks lived in villages of straw-roofed buildings which were strong enough to resist hurricanes. Their tranquil civilization valued artistic and spiritual pursuits.<ref name="SM">[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Saint_Martin History of Saint Martin] in ''Wikipedia: the Free Encyclopedia'' (accessed 7  October 2015).</ref>
The French and Dutch, on the other hand, both coveted the island. While the French wanted to colonize the islands between Trinidad and Bermuda, the Dutch found San Martín a convenient halfway point between their colonies in New Amsterdam, present day New York, and Brazil. With few people inhabiting the island, the Dutch easily founded a settlement there in 1631, erecting Fort Amsterdam as protection from invaders.


Their lives were turned upside-down, however, with the descent of the Carib Indians from the same region they had come from. A warrior nation, the Caribs killed the Arawak men and enslaved the women. When Europeans began to explore the Caribbean, Carib society had almost completely displaced the Arawaks.<ref name="SM" />
After abolition, plantation culture declined and the island's economy suffered. In 1939, St. Martin received a major boost when it was declared a duty-free port. The Dutch began focusing on tourism in the 1950s. It took the French another twenty years to start developing their tourism industry. Currently, tourism provides the backbone of the economy for both sides of the island.


'''Colonial Era'''
On September 5 1995, Hurricane Luis severely pounded the islands causing numerous damages and on the 6th and 7th of September the island was hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma, which caused widespread and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure.
 
In 1493, on Christopher Columbus second voyages to the West Indies, upon first sighting the island he named it Isla de San Martín after Saint Martin of Tours because it was November 11, St. Martin Day. However, though he claimed it as a Spanish territory, Columbus never landed there, and Spain made the settlement of the island a low priority.<ref name="SM" />
 
The French and Dutch, on the other hand, both coveted the island. While the French wanted to colonize the islands between Trinidad and Bermuda, the Dutch found San Martín a convenient halfway point between their colonies in New Amsterdam (present day New York) and Brazil. With few people inhabiting the island, the Dutch easily founded a settlement there in 1631, erecting Fort Amsterdam as protection from invaders. Jan Claeszen Van Campen became its first governor, and soon thereafter the Dutch East India Company began their salt mining operations. French and British settlements sprang up on the island as well. Taking note of these successful colonies and wanting to maintain their control of the salt trade, the Spanish now found St. Martin much more appealing. The Eighty Years' War which had been raging between Spain and the Netherlands provided further incentive to attack. Although the Spanish had been the first to import slaves to the island, their numbers had been few. But with the new cultivation of cotton, tobacco, and sugar, mass numbers of slaves were imported to work on the plantations. The slave population quickly grew larger than that of the land owners. Subjected to cruel treatment, slaves staged rebellions, and their overwhelming numbers made them impossible to ignore. On July 12, 1848, the French abolished slavery on their side of St. Martin. The Dutch followed suit fifteen years later.<ref name="SM" />
 
'''Into the 20th century'''
 
After abolition, plantation culture declined and the island's economy suffered. In 1939, St. Martin received a major boost when it was declared a duty-free port. The Dutch began focusing on tourism in the 1950s. It took the French another twenty years to start developing their tourism industry. Currently, tourism provides the backbone of the economy for both sides of the island.<ref name="SM" />
 
On September 5 1995, Hurricane Luis severely pounded the islands causing numerous damages after 35 years day by day after Hurricane Donna.<ref name="SM" />


Before 10 October 2010, Sint Maarten was known as the Island Territory of Sint Maarten , and was one of five island territories that constituted the Netherlands Antilles.
<br>
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sint_Maarten]
==Timeline==
==Timeline==
 
1631 - The Dutch founded a settlement there erecting Fort Amsterdam as protection<br>
=== References ===
1633 - Spanish forces captured Saint Martin from the Dutch, seizing control and driving most or all of the colonists off the island<br>
1648 - 1816 Conflicts between the Dutch and the French changed the border sixteen times<br>
1795 - 1815 The entire island came under effective French control when Netherlands became a puppet state under the French Empire<br>
1941 -The island was shelled by a German U-boat during World War II<br>
1990's - The island's population increased from 5,000 people to around 60,000 people because immigration from the neighboring Lesser Antilles, Curaçao, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Europe, and Asia turned the native population into a minority<br>
2017 - Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage and many inhabitants were devoid of basic necessities, looting became a serious problem<br>
   
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[[Category:Sint_Maarten]]
[[Category:Sint_Maarten]]

Latest revision as of 09:51, 25 March 2019

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History[edit | edit source]

In 1493, on Christopher Columbus second voyages to the West Indies, upon first sighting the island he named it Isla de San Martín after Saint Martin of Tours because it was November 11, St. Martin Day. However, though he claimed it as a Spanish territory, Columbus never landed there, and Spain made the settlement of the island a low priority.

The French and Dutch, on the other hand, both coveted the island. While the French wanted to colonize the islands between Trinidad and Bermuda, the Dutch found San Martín a convenient halfway point between their colonies in New Amsterdam, present day New York, and Brazil. With few people inhabiting the island, the Dutch easily founded a settlement there in 1631, erecting Fort Amsterdam as protection from invaders.

After abolition, plantation culture declined and the island's economy suffered. In 1939, St. Martin received a major boost when it was declared a duty-free port. The Dutch began focusing on tourism in the 1950s. It took the French another twenty years to start developing their tourism industry. Currently, tourism provides the backbone of the economy for both sides of the island.

On September 5 1995, Hurricane Luis severely pounded the islands causing numerous damages and on the 6th and 7th of September the island was hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma, which caused widespread and significant damage to buildings and infrastructure.

Before 10 October 2010, Sint Maarten was known as the Island Territory of Sint Maarten , and was one of five island territories that constituted the Netherlands Antilles.
[1]

Timeline[edit | edit source]

1631 - The Dutch founded a settlement there erecting Fort Amsterdam as protection
1633 - Spanish forces captured Saint Martin from the Dutch, seizing control and driving most or all of the colonists off the island
1648 - 1816 Conflicts between the Dutch and the French changed the border sixteen times
1795 - 1815 The entire island came under effective French control when Netherlands became a puppet state under the French Empire
1941 -The island was shelled by a German U-boat during World War II
1990's - The island's population increased from 5,000 people to around 60,000 people because immigration from the neighboring Lesser Antilles, Curaçao, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, the United States, Europe, and Asia turned the native population into a minority
2017 - Hurricane Irma caused extensive damage and many inhabitants were devoid of basic necessities, looting became a serious problem


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