Spain will focus most of its attention…
1540 CE to 1683 CE
A complex and at times cumbersome political and defense system develops to ensure the uninterrupted flow of this wealth.
Cuba is relegated to a mere stopping point for passing ships.
It remains valuable only because of its strategic location as the gateway to the New World, not because of its products.
Cuba's population diminishes continuously throughout this period.
The indigenous peoples continue to die out and there is little new influx of Spanish immigrants.
An economy of scarcity and a hot, sickness-ridden tropical climate offers little incentive for new immigration.
Those who do come to Cuba are mostly Spanish officials, soldiers, and members of the clergy; there are also many transient migrants on their way to Mexico or South America.
Groups
Commodities
Regions
West Indies
View →Subregions
