Colonization courlandaise of Americas
The Duché of Courlande was smallest of the States having taken part in the colonization of Americas, with a colony on the island of Tobago of 1654 to 1659 then, intermittently, of 1660 to 1689. Courlande only counted a population of 200.000 inhabitants and was itself vassal of the Poland-Lithuania. Under the duke Jacob Kettler, Courlande established one of the largest merchant fleet of Europe.
Since 1637, making following the creation of a colony on the island of Tobago by a group of 212 colonists, the duchy financed many commercial voyages towards the the Antilles. The first colonization of Tobago was a failure, just as a second attempt in 1639. In 1642, two boats ordered by the Caroon captain with approximately 300 colonists on their board tried to colonize the northern coast, close to current the Courland Bay , but they were quickly driven out by the the Caribbean. Courlande turned then to the Africa, where in 1651, the duchy succeeds in establishing its first durable colony on the island Saint-Andrew in the Fleuve Gambia, where strong Jacob in the honor of Kettler Jacob was founded.
The May 20th 1654, the duchy made a new attempt at colonization of Tobago, with the arrival of the ship Das Wappen der Herzogin von Kurland with on its board 45 guns, 25 officers, 124 Courlandais soldiers and 80 families of settlers. The captain Willem Mollens baptized the island “ Nouvelle Courlande”. The fort Jekabforts was set up on the south-west of the island, close to the named city Jekaba pilseta . A evangelic church Lutheran was built by the colonists during their first year on the island. The economy of the island quickly developed, so much so that soon, it exported quantity of products towards Europe: Sugar, Tobacco, Coffee, Cotton, Ginger, Indigo, Rum, Cocoa, carapaces of tortoise, birds tropical and their feathers…
Although this colony was an economic success, its population was exceeded by a new founded Dutch colony a few months later on the island, which reached in 1658 a population of 1.200 inhabitants, grace in particular on arrival of 500 French colonists this same year.
In Europe, the duke Kettler was captured by the Swedish army between 1658 and 1660. During this period, the two colonies courlandaises were seized by the Dutch colonists in numerical superiority, while its merchant fleet and its industries with Tobago were destroyed. The Dutch colonists on the island besieged strong Jacob and forced Hubert de Beveren, governor of the News-Courlande, to capitulate. Courland recovered officially the colony on December 11th, 1659. The war ceased following the treated of Oliva, which returned Tobago to the duchy of Courlande.
Courlandais left Tobago in 1666, probably after an attack of the Pirate S this same year. In 1668 a group of Courlandais tried to seize strong Jacob again, but it was eliminated by Dutch. In 1680, at the end of the reign of Kettler Jacob, Tobago was once again the object of an attempt at colonization courlandaise, which failed finally little of time afterwards. During this short occupation, Kettler reconstituted the fleet and the factories, without however making it possible the duchy to find its old prosperity. The island was abandoned of March 1683 in June 1686, and in May 1690, little time after the island was sold by Courlande the previous year, Courlandais left Tobago in a permanent way. In spite of the sale of the island, governors not managers continued to be named until 1795.
Today, a monument of Courlande, close to bay of Courlande, which commemorates the colonies of the duchy.
External bond
Tobago: The history of Tobago courlandais and Dutch
Internal bonds
- Tobago
- Island James