Everything Everywhere Daily · Thursday, September 3, 2026
Christopher Columbus and the Spanish quickly asserted control over Hispaniola after their arrival, enslaving the indigenous Taino population to exploit the island's gold reserves. By 1520, this brutal exploitation had decimated the Taino population. Santo Domingo, established in 1496, became the first European city in the Americas. However, Spain's focus shifted, leading to the neglect of Hispaniola and opening the door for other European powers.
“After Christopher Columbus and the Spanish arrived, the island would never be the same. Columbus and his men easily took control of the island, boasting in his journal quote, "with 150 men we could subjugate all of them and make them do whatever we want."”
“The Spanish made good on their promise, as they enslaved the Taino and used them to exhaust the island's limited gold reserves by 1520, decimating the population in the process.”
“Hispaniola was important to very early Spanish exploration, as the city of Santo Domingo was the very first city established in the Americas in 1496, just four years after Columbus's first voyage.”