2000+B.C.E.+to+1648+C.E

****__ 2000 B.C. - 1492 A.D.: __****
There were several different ethnic groups of the Caribbean region when Columbus had arrived. The three main groups are the Ciboney, Taíno, and the Carib. The Ciboney are thought to be the earliest arrivals to the Caribbean region. Ciboneys of the Caribbean region are also called Guanahatabeys on occasion. These people had a poorly developed social structure and were relatively peaceful. It is believed that these people were eventually wiped out by the Taínos who followed them. The Taíno migrated through the Caribbean in waves. From as far back as 2000 B.C., there were established Taíno movements toward the Caribbean, from Venezuela into the Guianas, and by about 200 B.C. they had begun making their way into the basin. By about 600 A.D. the Taíno had moved from South America up through the Lesser Antilles, Puerto Rico, and had begun expansion into Hispaniola. In the next 400 years the Taíno spread throughout all of Hispaniola and into eastern portions of Jamaica and Cuba. And, of course, by the time of Columbus' arrival, they had spread throughout the rest of Jamaica, as well as most of Cuba. The Taínos believed they had come into being from caves, and had spread across the lands. They also believed in a main god and goddess, as well as some ancestor worship. The Europeans, despite believing the Taínos to be savages, saw that they could be profitable as slaves, which eventually helped to decimate their population. When Columbus arrived, the Taínos were living in villages built around a square where they would play"Batey." This game involved kicking a ball, much like modern soccer. Their social structure also included a man who led the community, called a cacique.

Some larger islands had bigger communities grouped together under a main cacique, with local caciques leading the individual villages, while other villages were more independent. Meanwhile, the Taínos also smoked tobacco, a pastime they passed on to the Europeans. Another important member of the community was the shaman, the doctor and religious leader. They worshiped zemis, which could be defined as both the spirits and gods as well as the physical icons of these mystical beings. Some zemis were even said to talk and help the cacique make decisions. An important aspect of the Taínos' culture was the tying of boards to a newborn's head, helping to flatten the skull. This was said to help strengthen the bone, and gave the islanders a distinctive look. The Taíno were dark-skinned and black-haired, but did not have beards or body hair.

Columbus considered them to be perfect as workers because they were quick learners and were accustomed to working in the hot conditions of the Caribbean. However, much of their diet depended upon fishing, and their removal from the coasts to help the Spanish later contributed to their demise. The Caribs, whom Columbus met much later, were less understood. Inhabiting the Lesser Antilles, they were immediately marked as cannibals by explorers; their warlike nature kept these islands from being easily settled. Caribs had a male-dominated society, and much of their life revolved around the sea. Women generally did any work besides the hunting, and warriors were elected as their leaders. Their resistance to settlers means that some Caribs still survive today on some of the islands. These lifestyles were certainly different from the one that Columbus expected to find when he reached the East Indies. However, what he found in the Caribbean would become just as important to Spain for many other reasons.

=****1492-1506:****=

In August of 1492, Columbus set out for the Indies in his three ships, the Niña, Pinta and Santa Maria. The ships arrive at San Salvador at the Bahamas and Columbus decided to explore the Bahamian archipelago. They leave the Bahamas without finding gold and they head toward Cuba, which Columbus believed is Japan. Columbus explores Cuba’s north coast and than explores Hispaniola’s northern coast. Here Columbus sets up a village called Navidad (for Christmas). He later returns to Spain.

In 1493 Columbus was sent back to the Caribbean. During this trip Columbus visited Dominica and Jamaica and passed through the Lesser Antilles, naming them Santa Maria de Guadeloupe, Santa Maria de Montserrate, Santa Maria la Antigua, Santa Maria ls Redonda, Santa Cruz, and San Juan Bautista (Puerto Rico). He spent six months sailing along the southern coasts of Jamaica and Cuba. Columbus chose to move the colony city on Hispaniola from Isabella to Santo Domingo on the southeast coast, a much better location for settlement of the island. He left his brother Bartholomew in charge of creating this new city. Santo Domingo became the most important Spanish city in the region, and its importance lasted for 50 years - until Havana in Cuba became part of new trade routes. That same year, 1496, Columbus again returned to Spain.

In 1498 and 1502 Columbus again left Spain for his third and forth voyage to the New World.

While Spain was colonizing the West Indies, Portugal was also claiming territory. To confirm their claims, these two devoutly Catholic nations turned to the Pope. He divided the world between these two countries between east and west in 1493. This gave Spain control of almost all of the Americas, and left Portugal with much of Asia.

=** **__1508-1550:__** **= For several years Nicolas de Ovando was the governor of the Spanish territory in the Caribbean. During this time, he commissioned Juan Ponce de León to explore Puerto Rico. Between 1502 and 1509, the population on Hispaniola jumped from 300 to between 8,000 and 10,000. To feed these settlers, food production also increased. Ovando also dealt roughly with the Taínos and harshly put down any uprisings. His severe control of both the settlers and the native islanders led the island to prosperity during its early history. Shortly after taking the governorship of the region, Diego Columbus sent two men to begin colonizing Jamaica.

By 1512, there were Spanish colonies in all four of the Greater Antilles, but the two most important were on Hispaniola and Cuba. The settlements on both Puerto Rico and Jamaica were all but abandoned by settlers due to the lack of gold. Those who chose to settle Cuba struck it rich, and a number of people came to the island to find their fortunes.

The Taínos revolted against their Spanish controllers in Puerto Rico, aided by the Caribs, who fought any Spanish attempts to settle on their own islands. But the revolt was put down.

The number of Taínos was decreasing and this cause for one of the biggest economic problem in the colonies of the Caribbean region. The reason was because the Taínos were needed to serve as slaves. The King of Spain authorized slaving expeditions throughout the Caribbean in 1511 in order to ensure a continued labor force. But, his efforts did not work. The population went from being 300,000 in 1492 to having only two villages left of the Taínos in 1570. While many of the Taíno died from epidemics of European diseases such as smallpox, many others were simply worked to death. Another large number committed suicide to escape the conditions they found themselves in. Indian slavery was abolished in 1542.

The sugarcane that Columbus had brought with him flourished in the Caribbean. By 1518, sugarcane had grown throughout Hispaniola. But, the sugar industry required intense labor. New technology began spreading throughout the colonies in 1516 to make milling the sugar easier, but it still required for manual labor. The trapiche was a sugar mill powered by animal or, occasionally human strength, while an ingenio was a mill powered by water. The sugarcane industry quickly spread throughout the Spanish colonies with this new technology, bringing wealth with it. By 1523 Jamaica had 30 ingenios, and Puerto Rico built 10 by 1528. Although there was a lot of money that came out of this industry, there was still economic concern. The sugarcane grown was used for export, while all other foods were being imported. This would continue throughout much of Caribbean history. Expansion continued on the territories claimed by Columbus. Havana, Cuba and San Juan, Puerto Rico were founded in 1511. Havana later became one of the most important cities in the West Indies as trade routes begin passing by. Havana experienced a gold rush in 1512 that significantly added to the island's population, and two years later Santiago was founded on the island. In 1519, the region of Panama was founded and became an extremely important colony for Spain.

=**__**1522-1588:**__**= During this period, Spain moved its Caribbean capital to Havana, Cuba, because of its location along main shipping routes. Privateering (using an armed ship that is privately owned and manned, commissioned by a government to fight or harass enemy ships) became very profitable. The piracy that took place in the Caribbean served to weaken Spain's power and control in the region. In addition to piracy, another important act in 1562 also undermined Spanish authority in the region. Trade was very strictly regulated between Spain and Portugal, until Sir John Hawkins brought in slaves to trade on Hispaniola.

Spain found itself unable to control the whole territory the Pope had designated as theirs. Piracy would soon spin into an open war between the Dutch and the Spanish, but the naval battles ensured the ability of England, France, and the Netherlands to create their own colonies.