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Columbus And The Taíno Collapse
- Columbus named the island Hispaniola after arriving in 1492 and left a short-lived settlement called La Navidad. The native Taíno population collapsed rapidly from disease and forced labor within decades.
Sugar Drives Caribbean Competition
- Sugar cane arrived early and showed huge profit potential, spawning dozens of mills by the 1530s. European rivals then fought for Caribbean footholds and privateering reshaped settlement patterns.
Saint-Domingue Becomes A Lucrative Colony
- France formally gained the western third of Hispaniola after 1697 and named it Saint-Domingue. The colony rapidly became the New World's single most lucrative possession.