Spanish West Indies
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Spanish West Indies (also known as "Las Antillas" in Spanish) was the contemporary name for the Spanish colonies in the Caribbean.
It consisted of the present day nations of Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Jamaica, Cayman Islands, Trinidad, Bay Islands and Haiti.
The islands that would later become the Spanish West Indies were the focus of the voyages of Christopher Columbus in America. Largely due to the familiarity that Europeans gained from Columbus's voyages, the islands were also the first lands to be permanently colonized by Europeans in the America's. The Spanish West Indies were also the most enduring part of Spain's American Empire, only being surrendered in 1898 at the end of the Spanish-American War.
[edit] Loss of the different territories
- The Bay Islands were lost to Great Britain in 1643.
- Jamaica was lost to Great Britain in 1655, confirmed in the Treaty of Madrid (1670).
- The Cayman Islands were lost to Great Britain in the Treaty of Madrid (1670).
- Haiti was lost to France in the Treaty of Ryswick in 1697.
- Trinidad was lost to Great Britain in 1797, confirmed in the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.
- The Dominican Republic gained his independence in 1844.
- Cuba was lost to The United States in 1898, after the Spanish-American War concluded by the Treaty of Paris (1898).
- Puerto Rico was lost to The United States in 1898, after the Spanish-American War concluded by the Treaty of Paris (1898).es:CapitanÃa General de Cuba
