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Courland colonization of the Americas
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The Duchy of Courland was the smallest nation to colonize the Americas with a colony on the island of Tobago from 1654 to 1659, and intermittently from 1660 to 1689. Courland had a population of only 200,000 and was itself a vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at that time. Under Duke Jacob Kettler, a Baltic German, it established one of the largest merchant fleets in Europe. During his travels to Western Europe, Jacob became the eager proponent of mercantile ideas. Metalworking and shipbuilding became much more developed.
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The Duchy of Courland was the smallest nation to colonize the Americas with a colony on the island of Tobago from 1654 to 1659, and intermittently from 1660 to 1689. Courland had a population of only 200,000 and was itself a vassal of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at that time. Under Duke Jacob Kettler, a Baltic German, it established one of the largest merchant fleets in Europe. During his travels to Western Europe, Jacob became the eager proponent of mercantile ideas. Metalworking and shipbuilding became much more developed. Trading relations were established not only with nearby countries, but also with Great Britain, France, the Netherlands, Portugal and others. Kettler established one of the largest merchant fleets in Europe, with its main harbours in Windau (today's Ventspils), and Libau (today's Liepaja).
The Duchy's ships were undertaking trade voyages to the West Indies at least as early as 1637, when a Courland ship attempted to found a colony on Tobago with 212 settlers. An earlier European settlement on the island, a Dutch colony, formed in 1628, had been wiped out by the Spanish a few months earlier. The first Courland colony was a failure, as was a second attempt in 1639. In 1642, two ships under Captain Caroon with about 300 settlers attempted to settle on the north coast near Courland Bay but were soon driven off by the Carib natives. Then Courland's attention shifted and in 1651 the Duchy gained its first successful colony but in Africa, on St. Andrews Island in the Gambia River and they established Fort Jacob there.
Soon afterward, Courland decided to make still another attempt at a colony on Tobago. On May 20 1654, the ship Das Wappen der Herzogin von Kurland arrived carrying 45 cannons, 25 officers, 124 Courlander soldiers and 80 families of colonists to occupy Tobago. Captain Willem Mollens declared the island "New Courland". A fort was erected on the south-west of the island, also called Jekabforts (Fort James) with the surrounding town called Jekaba pilseta (Jamestown). Other features were given Courland names such as Great Courland Bay, James Bay, Courland Estate, New Jelgave, Liepaja Bay and Little Courland Bay. An Evangelical Lutheran church was built by the Courlanders in their first year on the island. The colony was successful, but soon became overshadowed by a second Dutch colony, started a few months later. While 120 Courland colonists had come in 1657, the Dutch colony reached a population of 1,200 by the next year when 500 French settlers joined them.
Goods exported to Europe included sugar, tobacco, coffee, cotton, ginger, indigo, rum, cocoa, tortoise shells, tropical birds and their feathers.
The Duchy of Courland was a focus of interest for both Sweden and Poland. In 1655, the Swedish army entered the territory of the Duchy and the Northern Wars (16551660) began. Duke Jacob was held captive by the Swedish army in 16581660. Even so, during this period, both colonies continued to thrive. During this period, both colonies were taken by more numerous Dutch colonists, and the merchant fleet and factories were destroyed. The Dutch settlers on the island surrounded Fort James and forced Hubert de Beveren, Governor of the Courlanders, to surrender. Courland officially yielded New Courland on December 11 1659. This war ended with the Treaty of Oliwa (signed near Gdansk) of 1660, on the basis of which Tobago was returned to Courland. The Courlanders left Tobago in 1666, possibly after a pirate attack which occurred that year. In 1668 a Courland ship attempted to reoccupy Fort Jacob but was driven off by the Dutch. Tobago was regained again just for a short period at the end of Jacob's rule with an attempt in July 1680 at a new colony which also later failed. He began to restore the fleet and factories, but the Duchy never again reached its previous level of prosperity. The island was abandoned from March 1683 to June 1686, and, in May 1690, shortly after the island was sold by Courland the previous year, the Courlanders permanently left Tobago, although absentee governors would continue to be appointed until 1795.
The Courland Monument near Courland Bay commemorates the Duchy's settlements.
Governors of New Courland (Tobago)
| 16421643 | Edward Marshall | | 16431650 | Cornelius Caroon | | 1654-165? | Adrien Lampsius | | 16561659 | Hubert de Beveren | | 16601689 | ? |
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