Editing Aruba (section)

==== 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" />