When was curacao discovered

Finally, the Dutch West India Company , a quasi-private, government-backed company, laid claim in The company installed the Dutch explorer Peter Stuyvesant as governor in , and he soon established plantations on the island, each with its famous landhuizen-structures that can still be seen today.

The plantations foundered in various forms of agriculture, but some were successful in growing peanuts, maize, and fruits. They soon found their niche in the production of salt, dried from the island's saline ponds. Chief among its endeavors was the trade of slaves from Africa, who then went on to the other islands of the Dutch West Indies and to the Spanish Main. It was during the slave trade days that the language Papiamentu began to form. The language, a mixture of Portuguese, Spanish, Dutch, and African dialects, became the main form of communication between slaves and their captors.

In , the community established the Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad , a structure that stands today. It is one of the oldest synagogues in the Western Hemisphere still in use.

That is, until the slave trade began. Parts of the main town, Willemstad were built in , starting with the construction of the colorful, waterfront area, Punda. Learn a few phrases in the video below!

Dushi is an especially useful word to know. In , the Jewish community, which had grown to 2,, built the Mikve Israel Emanuel Synagogue in Willemstad, which is now the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere that is still in continuous use. In , a slave known as Tula and 40 other brave slaves led a revolt, refusing to work on the plantation and demanding freedom from their Dutch masters.

A month later, Tula was captured and brutally tortured, and many of the other slaves were killed. The DWIC was also looking for a good source of salt. Good salt pans were to be found both nearby on the coast of Venezuela and on Bonaire. The fortification had cost a lot of money but the yields was not much as expected. The slaves were traded on the Zuurzak and Asiento plantations.

The slaves were bought by merchants and then shipped to various destinations in Central America and South America. Some of the slaves were bought by merchants and artisans and stayed in the vicinity of Willemstad. Willemstad originated in the second half of the 17th century and was build outside the Fort Amsterdam, in Punda. The Dutch government abolished slavery in after seeing England and France taking the first move to equality. The slave owners protested and were compensated by the Dutch state with ANG , - per slave for the loss of their property.