Figure 1.--The Canaries were Castille's first overseas colony and what became Spanish rule there became a template for Spain's vast American empire. This photo was taken in Gran Canaria (Canary Islands) in the early-20th century. The poverty in the Canaries had driven mny Canarins to emigrate, mostly to the Caribbean and to a lesser extent the United States. Thisc same hard-scrabble existence is what drove many Spainards in provinces like Extremadura into the ranks of the conquistadores.

The Canary Islands were known to the ancient world. They were presumably known to the Phoencians, Greeks, and Carthiginians, all people who engaged in commerce into the Atlantic. The first written reference is Roman. They referred to them as the Fortunate Islands. As a linguistic quirk, the islands were not named for birds (canaries), but large dogs (Canes) found there. Pliny the Elder, the archipelago was found to be uninhabited when visited by the Carthaginians under Hanno the Navigator who noted the ruins of great buildings. This suggest that the islands were inhabited by other peoples prior to the Guanches, a general term for the neolithic people encountered by the Europeans. They are believed to be related to the Berbers before Islaminization. The Arabs and Portuguese are known to have visited the islands, but did not attempt to colonize them. The Portuguese did seize the Azores and Maderia to the north. The islands were seized by Castille (beginning 1402). Castille by this time had emerged as the most important Iberian nation and was in the process of creating a unified Spain. Until this time, however, Castille unlike Aragon, was a land power. Castill had a very small navy and no overseas possessions. As with the case of Columbus, foreigners were used by Castille. French explorers Jean de Béthencourt and Gadifer de la Salle launched the conquest for Castilian King Henry III, the grandfather of Isabella. It would take some time to complete the conquest. The Castilians imposed a new economy based on the Repartimiento/Encomienda system. The Spanish introduced a single aricultural crop--at first sugar and then wine. England became a major market. The Canaries were Castille's first colony and as Isabelle and Ferdinand formed Spain around Castille and aragon, Spanish administration would provide the template for the Spanish conquest and Subsequenht administration of the Indies. The Dutch and British attempted to seize the islands. It was here Nelson lost his right arm. The sugar-based economy of the islands faced stiff competition from Spain's American colonies. Low prices in the sugar market in the 19th century caused severe recessions on the islands. A new cash crop, the cochineal beattle--used to produce a bright red die. The economy did nor support the population and large numbers of Canarians emigrated, mostly to the Caribbean and to a lesser extent the United States.

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Created: 2:16 AM 9/25/20112
Last updated: 4:54 PM 12/25/2014