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The European powers of Spain, England, France and the Netherlands fought over CARIBBEAN PROPERTY for hundreds of years. The region located southeast of North America was thought to be an excellent naval outpost for the battle over the New World as well as a source of wealth for the monarchies. The Casirimoid culture (4500 B. C.) is believed to be the the first human inhabitants of the area. Mostly located in Cuba and Hispaniola they were believed to be very primitive. Thought to have come from South America the Saladoid culture (400-200 B. C.) was more advanced, evidence shows they were ceramic-using agriculturalists. Over time three distinct cultures controlled the Caribbean: the Taino, Lucayans and the Ciboney. European enslavement would drive these people close to extinction. Spanish ships led by Columbus were the native's first contact with Europeans. Those visitor quickly discovered gold and other resources they believed would bring wealth to their country. Orders from the crown placed the natives under slavery that decimated their population so much settlers had to bring in African slaves to keep up with their demands. Spain claimed the islands as their colony in the early 1500s. England did not want Spain to gain sole control of the islands and ordered its fleets to attack and plunder Spanish ships in the 1570s. England gained its first colony, Bermuda, in 1612. Thirty three years later the country also gained control of Jamaica and held it for 300 years before granting its independence. France could not allow the Spanish and English monarchies to control such an important outpost. Their armies took half of Tortuga from Spain in 1625. Once their colony was established they quickly gained a stronghold in Hispaniola. France then expended its control to nine other islands but lost five of them to England in 1713. Through fierce battles France managed to retain control over St. Lucia, Grenada, Dominica and St. Vincent. The Netherlands joined the fighting in the late 1600s and gained control of twelve key islands. The country also managed, for a brief time, to take Puerto Rico. They called their new territory the Dutch West Indies. Despite the constant fighting around them the Dutch managed to control their territory until they sold it to the United States in 1917. Today many of the islands fought over for hundreds of year have become their own independent nations. Ironically all but Spain, the original country to claim colonies, still control some CARIBBEAN PROPERTY .
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