A timeline of historic events that shaped the Caribbean island.
As you explore the island of Bonaire you will come to face-to-face with its past.
I've put together this brief history of Bonaire in hopes that your travel experience will be heightened by understanding the history of the island and its people. This article has been pieced together by several sources, which are noted at the bottom of this article.
The Spanish Lay Claim to Bonaire
After falling out of favor with Queen Isabella in 1495, explorer Christopher Columbus lost his exclusive rights to the New World, and the Caribbean became open territory. The first among Spanish explorers to take advantage of the situations were Alonso de Ojeda & Amerigo Vespucci (from whom the Americas derive their name).
In 1499 the explorers claimed Aruba, Bonaire and Curacao for Spain. Bonaire's inhabitants at the time were the Caiquetios, a branch of the Arawak Indians who sailed across from what is now Venezuela to the leeward Island around 1000 AD. These original inhabitants may have been quite tall, as the Spaniards dubbed these islands "the islands of giants."
But the barren island of Bonaire, with its seldom rainfall and unproductive soil held little opportunity. Thus, the Spainards depopulated the island by 1515; hunting the Caiquetios and transporting them to work on the sugar plantations on Hispañola (now known as Haiti and the Dominican Republic).
In 1526, Spain decided to use Bonaire as a cattle plantation. The Spanish commander of the ABC island, Juan Martinez de Ampies, imported domesticated cows, donkeys, goats, pigs, sheep, and horses to the island. He also brought back some of the original Caquetio Indian inhabitants to Bonaire to work the plantation.
The Spanish continued to reign over the island until the mid-17th century, when the Dutch took reign in retaliation for the loss of St. Martin.
Salt Production & Dutch Reign
In 1633, the Spanish conquered St. Martin from the Dutch. In response, the Dutch occupied Curacao and Bonaire. In Bonaire, they immediately recognized the importance of the island through its abundant resource of SALT – the key resource for fish & meat preservation before refrigeration. 1639, The Dutch West India Company initiated salt production.
Over the next few centuries, few of the island's inhabitants were to arrive willingly. Slaves were brought from Africa and labored in the glaring sun, working in the salt pans. They lived in Rincon with their families and walked to the south where they lived and worked during the week.
Slave quarters, rising no higher than a man's waist and built entirely of stone, still stand as a grim reminder of Bonaire's repressive past.
When the Dutch West India Company dissolved in 1791, its properties were confiscated by the Dutch government, which continued salt production. The slaves, now owned by the Kingdom of the Netherlands, came to be known as 'government slaves,' or, in Papiamentu, 'Katibu di Rei,' meaning 'slaves of the king.' The slaves were allowed to grow and sell their own produce, and sometimes to buy their own freedom.
The abolition of slavery in 1862 and world competition rendered salt production as unprofitable, so the island slipped into economic decline. Not long after that, the Dutch government decided to sell its holdings on Bonaire to private entities. As a result, in 1868, two private landowners came to dominate the island. With its salt making industry in decline, many of Bonaire's residents left the island.
World War II and the Promise of Autonomy
During World War II, Bonaire became a protectorate of Great Britain and the United States. While the Netherlands was occupied by Germany, the island served as an internment camp for captured Germans and Dutch Nazis. Furthermore, Bonairean sailors made an extraordinary contribution when they went to battle against German U-boats.
The Germans had hoped to eliminate shipping around the Aurba and Curaçao refineries, with the goal of eliminating a huge fuel production for the Allies. In battle, 34 Bonaireans died on these ships; more than on the other island in the Dutch West Indies.
After the war, the economy of Bonaire continued to develop. The Queen of the Netherlands had promised the Dutch overseas territories autonomy. Therefore, in 1948, Bonaire was grouped together with several other Caribbean islands (Aruba, Curacao, St. Eustatius, Saba and St. Maarten) and the Netherland Antilles was formed.
In 1954, self-rule was granted by the Queen, and independence brought a greater emphasis on tourism. Bonaire was already a favorite destination of soldiers, and it further gained popularity when the Queen visited the island with Eleanor Roosevelt.
The tourism industry started to grow, and the facility that had been previously used to house POWs (Prisoners of War) was turned into a resort hotel. The hotel has since been restored and today is known as the Divi Flamingo.
Modern Times & Bonaire's Future
Salt production on Bonaire resumed in 1966 when the salt pans were modernized by the Antilles International Salt Company. And the construction of an oil refinery on nearby Curacao also provided work for some residents of Bonaire and brought some economic relief.
But it was the creation of the Marine Park in 1971 that changed the economic future of Bonaire. Tourism has since become the most important piece of Bonaire's economy, ensuring the survival of the island's extraordinary natural attractions well into the future. Through new laws and conservation efforts, island officials have created a pristine underwater world worthy of the nickname, “Diver’s Paradise.”
In 2006, the people of Bonaire agreed to dissolve the Netherlands Antilles. Of course, this decision was made along with the other islands and the government of the Netherlands. The arrangement was simply not working in modern times, as each island had varying needs and aspirations for its future. Some islands wanted more autonomy, while others (like Bonaire) wanted greater integration with the Netherlands.
In 2010, the dissoution was made official. Today, Bonaire is considered a special municipality of the Netherlands and a part of the Dutch Caribbean. As a special municipality, Bonaire is very much like ordinary Dutch municipalities in that it has a mayor, aldermen, and a municipal council, and is governed by Dutch laws.
Bonaire' past is grim, the future looks bright. While Bonaire’s economy continues to rely mostly on tourism, there are groups like the Bonaire Future Forum that is focused on positioning Bonaire as a destination for the world's creatives, stating;
"We should make Bonaire selective and try to attract value-adding creatives to the island – entrepreneurs, innovators, digital nomads, artists, musicians, and others who add value to Bonaire and are more in-line with our natural and free spirit" says group leader, Adnan Hassan.
That sounds good to me.
To learn more about the history of Bonaire, please pay a visit to the TerraMar Museum in the heart of Kralendijk.
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