Editing Aruba (section)

===Early Dutch period===
{{See also|Cas di torto|3=}}

==== Dutch conquest: salt ====
{{Blockquote|text={{lang|nl|Al is de Sallem schoon, De Haering spant de Kroon.}} 
The salmon may be beautiful, the herring surpasses all.|multiline=yes|source=E. Az. van Dooregeest & C.A. Posjager (1699)<ref>{{Cite web |last=DBNL |title=Een korte Historie Aengaende Hollandt, Den Ryper zee-postil, bestaende in XXII. Predicatien toegepast op den zeevaert, E. Az. van Dooregeest, C.A. Posjager |page=350 |url=https://www.dbnl.org/tekst/door040rype01_01/door040rype01_01_0025.php |access-date=2023-09-22 |website=DBNL |language=nl}}</ref>}}
The Dutch were compelled to venture into forbidden waters of the Caribbean, known as Spain's ''[[mare clausum]],'' because of their need for salt, in open defiance of [[Philip II of Spain|Phillip II]]. Since the mid-15th century, the prosperous Dutch [[herring]] industry had been steadily expanding.<ref name=":22">{{Cite journal |last=Goslinga |first=Cornelis Ch. |date=1979 |title=A Short History of the Netherlands Antilles and Surinam |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9289-4 |journal=SpringerLink |language=en |pages=20–25 |doi=10.1007/978-94-009-9289-4|isbn=978-90-247-2118-4 }}</ref> The towns of [[Hoorn]], [[Enkhuizen]], and [[Medemblik]] were particularly active in the salt trade, thanks to their thriving fishing industries. Herring was a crucial commodity for Dutch commerce, requiring salt for preservation. Salt also played a vital role in the butter and [[List of Dutch cheeses|cheese]] industry, as well as in preserving food during long voyages.<ref name=":12">{{Cite book |last=Goslinga |first=Cornelis Christiaan |url=http://archive.org/details/BNA-DIG-CARI-944_4-GOSL |title=The Dutch in the Caribbean and on the Wild Coast, 1580-1680 |date=1971 |publisher=Assen : Van Gorcum [etc.] |isbn=978-90-232-0141-0 |pages=116–140 |chapter=The Battle for Salt |url-access=registration}}</ref> The curing or pickling process for herring was well established during the Middle Ages. After catching the herring, the packers would remove the internal organs, mix them with salt to create a brine, and pack them in barrels along with additional salt.<ref name=":3">{{Cite journal |last=Unger |first=Richard W. |date=1980 |title=Dutch Herring, Technology, and International Trade in the Seventeenth Century |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2120179 |journal=The Journal of Economic History |volume=40 |issue=2 |pages=253–280 |doi=10.1017/S0022050700108204 |jstor=2120179 |s2cid=154052293 |issn=0022-0507}}</ref> While [[Zeeland]] was not heavily involved in fishing, they were renowned for their salt whitening process, which was highly sought after throughout Europe.<ref name=":12" />

Salt importation began in the 15th century when the Dutch discovered high-quality salt in [[Setúbal]] the [[Iberian Peninsula|Iberian]] coast. This sea salt was good for preserving herring because of its [[magnesium sulfate]] and [[magnesium chloride]] content. However, the [[Eighty Years' War]] prompted Phillip II to halt this trade.<ref name=":22" /> With the salt supply cut off, the Dutch were forced to seek new trade routes. Their quest for salt led them to the West Indies.<ref name=":12" /> Seeking alternative sources, they turned their attention to Punta de Araya in Tierra Firme by the 17th century.<ref name=":22" /> The salt reserves in Punta de Araya were abundant and of high quality, surpassing that of the Iberian peninsula. Rather than being a rock salt deposit, it was a gem salt derived from the clay of the surrounding hills.<ref name=":12" /> However, following the [[Twelve Years' Truce|Truce of twelve years]], the Dutch discovered that the Spaniards had fortified the saltpans, forcing them to give up their stake in Araya salt.<ref name=":22" />

After hostilities resumed, the Dutch established the [[Dutch West India Company|West India Company]] (WIC) with the main objective of engaging in strategic military actions and [[privateer]]ing organization against Spain. This was the {{lang|fr|raison d'être|italic=yes}} or reason for the existence of the WIC. Their secondary objective was focused on commerce and colonization, a choice that ultimately led to the downfall of the WIC in 1674. The WIC also gathered information on Spanish treasure fleets. In 1623, the first official fleet of the new WIC, a small squadron of only three ships commanded by Pieter Schouten, set sail for the Caribbean to engage in looting and plundering in the Lesser Antilles and the Yucátan peninsula. It was during this voyage that the [[Hooiberg#History|Dutch first encountered Aruba]].<ref name=":22" />

Around 1628 or 1629, the Dutch started obtaining salt regularly on [[Tortuga (Haiti)|Tortuga]]. Governor [[Francisco Núñez Melián]] of Venezuela destroyed the saltpans and took some Dutch prisoners, forced them to cut [[Paubrasilia|Brazilwood]] in Curaçao. One of these Dutchmen, Jan Janszoon Otzen, carefully assessed the island's excellent harbor and profitable saltpans, which he later communicated to the WIC. Recognizing their struggle for salt, the Dutch realized the need to establish a base in these waters to secure Curaçao. WIC agent [[Johannes van Walbeeck]] was appointed as the expedition's commander and future Governor of Curaçao, Bonaire, and Aruba. Curaçao was captured and acquired by the WIC in June 1634, primarily by their desire to obtain salt. In Van Walbeeck's report of 1634, Aruba is mentioned only in relation to Curaçao, where he refers to Bonaire and Aruba collectively as the "islands of Curaçao".<ref name=":22" />

By 1816, Aruba possessed seven salt pans, all of which yielded salt of subpar quality. The salt production was just sufficient to meet the local demand. Aruban laborers, often assisted by donkeys, were tasked with gathering the salt, which was subsequently distributed among the island's inhabitants.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=De Hullu |first=J. |date=1923 |title=Aruba in 1816 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41845847 |journal=De West-Indische Gids |volume=5 |pages=371–382 |jstor=41845847 |issn=0372-7289}}</ref> Around 1924, salt extraction at [[Rancho, Aruba|Rancho]] had limited benefits, primarily being used in the preservation of fish during shipping.<ref>{{Citation |last=Fraters van Tilburg |title=Ranchoe. Zoutwinning. Er is weinig aan verdiend. Het zout wordt gebruikt bij de verzending van vis |date=1924 |url=http://archive.org/details/STADSMUSEUMTILBURG-FRATERS-404472 |access-date=2023-10-06 |language=Dutch}}</ref> [[Paardenbaai]] (Horses' Bay) contained salt pans up until 1949 when it was dredged and disappeared beneath the sand.<ref name=":0" />

==== New Netherland ====
Between the [[Peace of Westphalia]] in 1648 and the [[Treaties of Nijmegen|Peace of Nijmegen]] in 1678, there were 30 years of crisis in the Dutch Antilles and the entire Caribbean region. By 1648, Curaçao had lost its importance as a military outpost. Governor [[Peter Stuyvesant]] had a plan to strengthen the connections between the islands and [[New Netherland]]. He believed that the two colonies could support each other: New Netherland would provide food in exchange for slaves from Curaçao, horses from Aruba, and salt from Bonaire.<ref name=":04">{{Cite journal |last=Goslinga |first=Cornelis Ch. |date=1979 |title=A Short History of the Netherlands Antilles and Surinam |url=https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9289-4 |journal=SpringerLink |language=en |doi=10.1007/978-94-009-9289-4|isbn=978-90-247-2118-4 }}</ref> But Stuyvesant did not anticipate the rivalry between the two colonies, which prevented them from working together effectively. The Dutch in Curaçao preferred to sell their goods to other Caribbean islands where they could get a better price, rather than trading with their fellow countrymen in New Netherland. Additionally, the islands were involved in illegal trade with the Spanish mainland and did not want to switch to legal trade with New Netherland. Stuyvesant needed slaves to strengthen [[New Amsterdam|New Amsterdam's]] defenses, but he mostly received old or sick slaves, called ''mancarrons'', in response to his requests. The better slaves were sold elsewhere to the highest bidder. However, the people in New Netherland were not motivated by unselfish reasons or a strong sense of patriotism. They continued to trade with their French, English, and Swedish neighbors across the border. Only in extreme situations did their shared heritage become more important than making money. For example, when the islands faced famine due to a series of dry seasons, Stuyvesant came to the rescue by sending a ship with food just in time.<ref name=":04" />

The troubled relationship between the Curaçao islands and New Netherland came to a sudden end in 1664. At that time, even though a war between England and the [[Dutch Republic|United Provinces]] had not been officially declared, an English fleet led by [[Richard Nicolls]] demanded that New Amsterdam surrender. While the Dutch briefly regained control of the colony in 1673, it was once again used as leverage in 1674 to show the English the dangers of their alliance with France.<ref name=":04" /> During the 17th century, the Dutch considered England their main adversary, as evidenced by the three wars they fought against the English. The [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]] and the subsequent peace treaty in 1667 marked a pivotal moment in Caribbean colonial possessions. [[Dutch Golden Age|Dutch supremacy]] waned, and the enforcement of English [[Navigation Acts]] left a lasting impact on regional trade. Nevertheless, the Caribbean islands eventually regained stability and prosperity, experiencing fewer changes in colonial holdings for centuries to come.<ref name=":04" />