Discovery of Martinique

June 15, 1502. The Caribbean Sea. A small flagship of Christopher Columbus approaches an unknown shore covered with lush greenery. This was Martinique — an island that would become French, the homeland of Empress Josephine, the center of romance, and a place of attraction for tourists. But on that day, Columbus simply opened another page in the map. How was it? Who lived there? Why was the island named so? Let's travel back to the sixteenth century.

Columbus and his fourth voyage

Christopher Columbus made four voyages to the shores of America. The fourth (1502-1504) was the most unsuccessful: the ships were rotting, the crew mutinied, and there were few discoveries. On June 15, 1502, while heading towards Hispaniola (now Haiti), he noticed a high, mountainous island. Columbus named it "Martinique." According to one version, in honor of Saint Martin (San Martin), and according to another — in honor of the island of Saint Martin that he had already visited. The Arawak Indians living there called the island "Madinina" (island of flowers) or "Mataniño" (island of women). Columbus did not disembark, fearing hostile indigenous people, and continued on.

Who lived on Martinique before the Europeans

The first inhabitants of Martinique were the Siboney Indians (around 4000 years ago), then the Arawak (arrived from South America around 300 AD), and in the thirteenth century — the Caribs. The Caribs were a warlike tribe, they expelled the Arawak and gave the name to the Caribbean Sea. By the time the Europeans arrived, the Caribs dominated Martinique. They lived in long houses, grew cassava, tobacco, cotton, made wooden pies. The Caribs were cannibals (although the extent of cannibalism was exaggerated by the Europeans). Columbus and his crew feared the Caribs, so they did not disembark.

Why the discovery did not lead to immediate colonization

After Columbus' discovery, the island remained uninhabited by Europeans for almost a century. The Spaniards preferred larger islands (Cuba, Hispaniola, Puerto Rico), where there was gold. Martinique, however, had no precious metals, and the Caribs actively resisted. The first attempts at colonization were made by the French in 1635 (Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc). They founded the settlement of Saint-Pierre, which became the capital of French Antilles. Spain recognized France's sovereignty over Martinique only in 1697 (under the Treaty of Ryswick). So Columbus discovered, but did not claim.

Josephine and other celebrities

Martinique is the birthplace of Josephine Bonaparte, the first wife of Napoleon Bonaparte. She was born in 1763 in Le Tréport-Ile in the family of a planter. In 1779, she married the Viscount de Beauharnais, and after his execution, became the Empress. Her influence on Napoleon and the fate of the island (abolition of slavery, restoration of slavery) is a separate story. Another celebrity is the poet Aimé Césaire (born in 1913), who founded the Negritude movement. His poems about Martinique are read worldwide. Also, actress Henriette Cola (pen name Anna Karina) was born there.

Modern Martinique

Today, Martinique is an overseas department of France, part of the European Union. The population is about 375,000. They speak French and Creole. The economy is based on tourism, agriculture (bananas, sugarcane), rum (famous rum Clément, La Mauny). The island is on the UNESCO list of biosphere reserves. The main attraction is Mount Pele (a volcano), which destroyed Saint-Pierre in 1902, killing 30,000 people. Tourists come for black sandy beaches, waterfalls, jungles.

The discovery of Martinique by Columbus is just the first line in a long history. The island has survived colonization, slavery, revolutions, volcanic eruptions. But it remains the "island of flowers," a place where European culture intertwines with African and Indian. June 15 is an unofficial Day of the Discovery of Martinique. If you are there, raise a glass of rum in honor of Columbus, who at least noticed this land.

Permanent link to this publication: