| Hispaniola | |
 | |
| Continent | North America |
| Location | West Indies |
| Population | Spanish Citizens
French Citizens Slaves |
| Affiliation | Spanish Empire (eastern half)
French Empire (western half) |
Hispaniola is an island in the West Indies. The western half of the island and the smaller island ofTortuga are part of the French colony of Saint Domingue, while the Spanish control the eastern half which is the colony of Santo Domingo. The Spanish capital on their side of the island is also named Santo Domingo.
Geography[]
Hispaniola is the second-largest island in the Caribbean, with Cuba being larger. Cuba is 50 miles to the northwest across the Windward Passage. The island has five mountain ranges and is covered in forests. The Spanish city of Santo Domingo lies on the southeast coast.
Several small islands surround the main island. This includes Tortuga, which is held by the French. It is north of Saint Domingue.
People[]
The people of Saint Domingue are a mixture of French settlers and slaves. The Spanish colony of Santo Domingo is a similar mixture. They are primarily farmers that grow sugar and coffee with the use of slave labor.
Tortuga, a small island northwest of Saint Domingue, is a known pirate haven.
History[]
Background[]
Prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus, the island was inhabited by the Taíno people, who had five major chiefdoms on the island. In 1493, Columbus came back to the island on his second voyage and founded the first Spanish colony in the New World, the city of Isabella. In 1496, his brother Bartholomew established the city of Santo Domingo, which became the new capital. In 1501, Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand granted permisson for the colony to import African slaves. Sugarcane was introduced, and the first sugar mill in the New World was established in 1516.
The Spanish colony would struggle to survive due to slave rebellions, which led to the establishment of communities of Maroons, hurricanes and pirates.
French settlement of the land was recognized in 1665, and the western third of the island was granted to the French Empire in 1697 and named Saint Domingue. Saint-Domingue quickly came to overshadow the east in both wealth and population. Nicknamed the "Pearl of the Antilles", it became the richest and most prosperous colony in the West Indies, with a system of human slavery used to grow and harvest sugar cane during a time when European demand for sugar was high. Slavery kept prices low and profit was maximized. It was an important port in the Americas for goods and products flowing to and from France and Europe.
Season One[]
The Guthrie Trading Company in Nassau participates in the sloop trade with Santo Domingo and Havana, however Mr. Scott says that the revenue it generates would not be enough to replace Richard Guthrie's connections with English ports after news of his arrest spreads.
Season Two[]
Ned Low mentions to Charles Vane that he has made camp in various places, Kingston, Port Royal and Tortuga. In every place, there was always a man who you knew not to cross.
After sacking Charles Town, Flint and the Spanish Man O' War stop in Tortuga to refit and gather news, of which they found plenty. They learn that Eleanor Guthrie was arrested and on her way to London to stand trial, in the custody of the Royal Navy.