Creating the Caribbean -- The Colonial West Indies, pt. 1, 1496-1697
Historiansplaining: A historian tells you why everything you know is wrong
00:00
The Spanish Approach to the Greater Antilles
Havana was the main centre of administration, connecting the colonial regimes with spain. And eventually it also became the staging ground for the treasure fleets that would transport the royal share of gold and silver ind in america back across the ocean to spain. As for the other greater antilles, they were broadly similar. You had at least some sizable towns, like santo domingo and san juan,. Then hinter lands that were very sparsely populated, largely out of spanish control, but with some small villages and cattle ranches. Jamaica was probably the most sparse at all, where really the only significant european settlement was santiago de la vega
Transcript
Play full episode
