Editing History of Trinidad and Tobago (section)

=== Colonial settlement of Trinidad ===
Trinidad is reported to have been densely populated at the beginning of the colonial period. Although in 1510, Trinidad was said to have the only "peaceful Indians" along the whole South American coast, demand for slaves to supply the [[pearl]]-fisheries in nearby [[Isla Margarita]] led to them being declared "Caribs" (and thus, fair game for [[slavery|slavers]]) in 1511. As a consequence of this, Trinidad and Tobago became the focus of [[Spain|Spanish]] slaving raids, primarily to supply Margarita's pearl fisheries.<ref>{{cite journal|last1=Romero|first1=Aldemaro|title=Death and Taxes: the Case of the Depletion of Pearl Oyster Beds in Sixteenth-Century Venezuela|journal=Conservation Biology|date=2003|volume=17|issue=4|page=1016|doi=10.1046/j.1523-1739.2003.01406.x|bibcode=2003ConBi..17.1013R |s2cid=86335309 |url=https://spark.siue.edu/bio_fac/408}}</ref>

In 1530, [[Antonio Sedeño]] was appointed governor.<ref name="Eric" />{{rp|11}}  Granted a contract to settle Trinidad, with an eye toward discovering long-rumored [[El Dorado]] and controlling the trade in slaves, in 1532 he attempted to establish a settlement, but was driven off the island following the Battle of [[Cumucurapo]], (or The Place of the [[Ceiba pentandra|Silk Cotton]] Tree). He withdrew to Margarita, but he returned a year later and built a stockade at Cumucurapo (modern [[Mucurapo]] in what is now [[Port of Spain]]).On 13 September 1533, the second battle of Cumucurapo began, and Sedeño prevailed and rebuilt the fortifications. Sedeño was forced to withdraw a few months later in 1534, as his men left him to follow [[Francisco Pizarro]] in Peru. <ref>{{Cite web |last=Besson |first=Gerard |date=21 November 2011 |title=Don Antonio and the Amerindians |url=https://caribbeanhistoryarchives.blogspot.com/2011/11/don-antonio-and-amerindians.html |website=The Caribbean History Archives}}</ref>

In 1569, [[Juan Ponce de León II|Juan Troche Ponce de León]] built the "town of the Circumcision", probably around modern [[Laventille]]. In 1570, this settlement was abandoned. In 1592, [[Antonio de Berrio]] established the first lasting settlement, the town of [[Saint Joseph, Trinidad and Tobago|San José de Oruña]] (the modern St. Joseph). [[Sir Walter Raleigh]], who was searching for ''El Dorado'', arrived in Trinidad on 22 March 1595 and [[Raleigh's El Dorado Expedition|soon attacked San José]] and captured and interrogated de Berrío, obtaining much information from him and from the [[cacique]] Topiawari.<ref name=Whitehead>Whitehead, 1997.</ref><ref name="Eric" />{{rp|11,18}}

Lack of Spanish ships arriving on a regular basis forced the settlers to trade with the English, French and Dutch, in violation of the Spanish Exclusive. The Spanish also lacked the means to defend the colony, which consisted of only 24 Spanish settlers in 1625. Thus, the Dutch attacked St. Joseph with impunity in 1637.  By 1671, the island included 80 settlers and 80 "domesticated" Amerindians.<ref name="Eric" />{{rp|13–18}}

By 1772, the Spanish capital of St. Joseph had a population of 326 Spaniards and 417 Amerindians.  Yet the houses consisted of mud huts with thatch roofs.  In general, lacking gold, the island was poor and undeveloped, inducing many to leave.<ref name="Eric" />{{rp|28}}

The [[Captaincy General of Venezuela]] was created on 8 September 1777, through the Royal Decree of Graces of Charles III of Bourbon, to provide more autonomy for the provinces of Venezuela (include Trinidad), previously under the jurisdiction of the [[Viceroyalty of New Granada]] and the [[Real Audiencia of Santo Domingo|Audiencia of Santo Domingo]]. The crown established a unified government in political ([[governorate|governorship]]), military ([[Captain General|captaincy general]]), fiscal ([[Intendant|intendancy]]) and judicial (''[[Audiencia Real|audiencia]]'') affairs. Its creation was part of the [[Bourbon Reforms]] and laid the groundwork for the future nation of Venezuela, in particular by orienting the [[Maracaibo Province (Spanish Empire)|province of Maracaibo]] towards the [[Venezuela Province|province of Caracas]].