Courland colonization
The small wealthy former
Baltic German Duchy of
Courland (Kurland in German) took a modest part in European
colonialism, in West Africa and the Caribean.
Like the other, far larger German colonising power before the
German Empire,
Brandenburg becoming
Prussia, the future
German hegemon,
Courland had a European crusading, hence expansionist, past. The colonies were established under Duke
Jacob Kettler. During his reign, the nation established trading relations with all of the major European powers. Kettler established one of the largest merchant fleets in Europe, with its main harbours in
Windau (today Ventspils), and
Libau (today Liepaja). His fleet took voyages to the
West Indies as early as 1637 when the settlers on the ship established the first colony on
Tobago. The first colony was a failure, but was refounded in 1639.
In 1651, the Duchy gained a colony in Africa on
St. Andrews Island at the
Gambia River and established the
Jacob Fort there. The Duchy also took other local land including St. Mary Island (modern day
Banjul) and
Fort Jillifree. His colonies exported
sugar,
tobacco,
coffee,
cotton,
ginger,
indigo,
rum,
cocoa,
tortoise shells, tropical birds and their feathers. The Courlanders retained control of these lands for less than a decade and they were formally ceded to
England in 1664.
The colonies were lost when neighbouring nations took advantage of
Courland during the
Northern Wars, when Duke Jacob was held captive by the Swedish army (1658-60). However,
Tobago was returned to
Courland, but the duchy abandoned it in 1666. In 1668, a
Courland ship attempted to reoccupy Fort Jacob but was driven off by the
Dutch. The
Courland Monument near
Courland Bay commemorates the Duchy's settlements.
*
St. Andrews Island = Courlander Gambia (the later English Fort James) (1651-1660, 1660-1661)
*New Courland on
Tobago (1637, 1642, 1654-1659, 1680-1690)
*
Courland colonization of the Americas*
Jacob Kettler(incomplete)
*
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