His to r i ca 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 a d

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

The Arawak Amerindians.

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 on 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 ns 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 ed .

Pontjesbrug, Willemstad

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