Few people realize that the First Republic had its colonial episode, and the Cossacks, Russians, and Swedes stood in the way of building the colonial empire.
After the war with Turkey, which was concluded in 1634, Russia was forced to renounce its pretence to the Smolensk Land, Chernichowska and Siewierska, a victorious war against Turkey (1633–1634), which attempted to exploit the Republic's commitment to the east, and a truce in the Sztumska Village, ending the conflict with Sweden, there was a time of peace. The union with Lithuania is at the tallness of the power. Nearly 1 million square kilometers of land and eleven million people made the Republic of Poland the first force in Europe.
At the same time, Western Europe was plunged into a devastating 30 Years' War, which made havoc on a scale comparable to the First planet War. The Habsburgs were forced in 1645 to give Władysław IV Vase in the pledge of the Opole – Racibor principality, and 2 years later it was planted with the Polish army.
The brother of the Polish king, Karol Ferdinand Waza, had already taken the lead of the bishopric of Wroclaw and the dukedom of Nysa, and the dukedoms of Paderov (legnica, vo3ów and Brest), as well as the Oleśnica duchy and the city of Wrocław were de facto under Polish protectorate.
So far in the seas and oceans, Spain from the 30 Years ’ War, which for her did not end in 1648, came out badly damaged and was never to regain the meaning it had before its outbreak. The large days of England and France were yet to come. However, so far, small has indicated that these countries will become colonial powers in the future...
Imperial Dreams
At that time, in the Republic of Poland with increasing interest, it began to think about overseas conquests. A peculiar activity in this field was the Lennik of the Republic, Duke of Kurland, James Kettler, who in 1642 acquired rights to the island of Tobago, north of the coast of South America from his relative, King Charles I of England. In the same year 310 settlers arrived.
Kettler decided to follow the punch. It initiated the expansion of the war and trade fleet (44 warships and 79 deep sea merchant ships were built in Kurland shipyards over forty years).
In 1647 he presented his plans to King Władysław IV, which included the establishment of a Commercial Company, created like the English East India Company, thus having its own army and having broad political and administrative powers, including the right to enter into global agreements and treaties. Her task was to colonize overseas areas.
Kettler tried to interest the king in the subject of colonization of the trade way leading to India, but Władysław IV Waza, during this period, directed his eyes towards the Black Sea coasts and focused all his attention on plans of war with Turkey.
Meanwhile, it was bad on Tobago, where bloody fighting with the Trinidadians came. Most settlers died. Only seventy out of 310 settlers, sent to Tobago by Jacob Kettler, remained alive. They were forced to leave the island. Hi, she moved to close Guyana, where a fresh settlement was established at the mouth of the Bowroma River, part on Tortuga.
Jacob Kettler was not discouraged by the first setbacks, especially in the context of what was happening in the country. The triumph of the Polish troops at Beestek had a wide echo in Europe and it seemed that nothing could break the power of the Republic. Under the White Church, Chmielnicki fell to the feet of the Hetman Potocki, accepting the terms of the settlement and promising that he would not return more against Poland.
Direction Africa
At the same time as the Kurland settlers were forced to leave Tobago and decision to Guyana and Tortuga, Jacob Kettler began to implement a fresh plan. In the summertime of 1650, he commissioned his agent in Amsterdam, Henry Momber, to organize a "Guinee Company" and send 2 ships to Africa in search of a suitable place to establish a factory. On September 3, 1651 he left the port of Elev, the ship "Walfisch", which reached the coast of Gambia on October 25. A deserted island was purchased from the ruler of the Kombo tribe close the mouth of the Gambia River, which was called St Andrew's Island, as well as Banjul Island, located on the south bank, at the mouth of the river. These acquisitions were supplemented by a part of land in the country of Barra, other St Andrew's Island, where its inhabitants could supply water. The last acquisition was a land strip in the Gassan area, located 60 miles upstream of the river. Dariusz Kołodziejczyk wrote in the magazine “They talk Ages”:
The construction of the fort in St Andrew's Island was entrusted to Major Fock. Made of stone. The 4-bastion fort full controlled shipping on the river. Despite repeated bombings and later years of neglect, the ruins of the fort remained to this day. The second smaller fort was built on the island of Banjul.
St. Andrew's Fort was besides the center of the recently formed colony, to which, in addition to soldiers, besides send the name of married men. The chief of the fort was besides governor. Outside the fort, barracks were built for soldiers, warehouses and Lutheran church. The first pastor was Gottschalk Ebeling, and after him came to Gambia Joachim Dannenfeld. In the princely instruction for the latter, he was commanded to care not only for the souls of the colonists, but besides for the conversion of the Gentiles; to this end he was to learn the local language.
An estimated 18 to 21 expeditions, consisting of a full of about 28 to 31 ships, sailed from the Baltic ports to Gambia over the next fewer years. The collegiate sees that slaves were not the only riches that Western Africa had tempted Europeans at the time. another “articles” include ivory, gold, wax, indigo, coffee, ebony and roots. In return, Europeans offered iron, silver and copper in bars, glass beads, beads, amber, salt, brandy, and weapons – white and flammable. Sukno (including Silesian and Wielkopolska) played a smaller function in the first period.
Direction America
But the most crucial direction of expansion was to be the American coast. After the death of Władysław IV, Jan Kazimierz sat on the Polish throne. Kettler presented him with his proposal for an extended expansion. The plan assumed that the Republic of Poland would receive the land straight north of the equator. Poland and Lithuania were to receive the area of present-day Guyana and northern Brazil, Kurlandia were to fall Venezuela and north-eastern Colombia. Kettler was curious in the thought of Pope Innocent X to give him his blessing and promise to support the task financially.
On May 20, 1654, another 80 families of settlers were disembarked from the “Das Wappen der Herzogin von Kurland” ship, which moored at the waterfront of Tobago, along with 25 officers and 124 private soldiers. 2 forts were shortly created there, 1 of which was named Fort Casimir in honor of King John Casimir, and the another was named Fort Jakob (in honor of Jacob Kettler). The island of Tobago was then named fresh Kurlandia. The number of settlers increased in 1657, erstwhile another 120 people settled on Tobago.
Sugar cane and tobacco were primarily grown on the island. A full of 120 plantations were created there, as well as respective sugar factories, 2 rum distilleries and an indigo factory. The production was mainly in Poland and Sweden and Russia.
The plantations were mainly worked by slaves who were brought from Gambia. Black slaves were supplied from inland by wandering Diul merchants, belonging to a group of Mandingo tribes (with the Barra and Kombo tribes they tried to keep appropriate relations).
The first black slaves appeared on Tobago as early as May 1654, erstwhile politician Willem Mollens arrived there with the first group of settlers. In total, about 900 slaves were transported from Gambia to Tobago by 1658.
Dream's over
The plans of the Kettler were partially implemented. Above all, settlements on the coast of South America have failed to develop. The events in the Republic of Poland were interrupted.
Following the Chmielnicki uprising, the country fell into chaos, especially as the problems of the Republic decided to usage Russia first and then Sweden. And it all started with a minor, seemingly, incident. This is Bohdan Chmielnicki's private feud with Daniel Czaplinski turned into a bloodbath. In a fewer years, the country has fallen to the brink of disaster. In the face of the Swedish invasion, which fell on the weakened Cossack wars and Russian intervention of the Republic of Poland, Jan Kazimierz had to temporarily defend himself in Silesia.
In fact, as early as 1652, there was the first incidental that announced that a fresh player in this marketplace was not welcome. It was then that 1 of the Kettler commercial ships was turned off the coast of Africa by a ship of the Dutch East India Company, and the protests of the Prince, brought through a Polish resident in the Netherlands, did not work. In September 1654, 50 Dutch settled in the south of Tobago, led by Pieter Becquard. It didn't seem dangerous for that time.
The situation began to change as news of Swedish successes in Poland spread. In 1658, Jacob Kettler was taken prisoner in Sweden, and shortly thereafter the Swedes captured a large part of the Kurland fleet. Trapped in Riga and then in distant Ingermannland (now Ivangorod k/Narwy), Jacob was not to return to Kurland until June 1660, after signing a peace in Oliwa.
In this situation, the Dutch from the confederate part of Tobago, reinforced by fresh visitors, hit the northern part of the island. politician Mollens took refuge in Jamaica, and his deputy capitulated without trying to resist.
The destiny of Gambia was a small longer weighed, where Captain Otto Stiel had been politician since 1655. And in 1659 she became the mark of the Dutch expansion, but unlike Mollens, Captain Stiel decided to resist, stating that the dedication of the fort would be contrary to the oath made to the Duke of Kurland. The Dutch, however, managed to bribe the crew, promising to pay back earnings. Rebellious soldiers released a fort and chained up by the commandant. In early 1660, the French corsage remaining on the Swedish service won Fort St. Andrew and then resold it ... to a branch of the same Dutch West India Company, only from Groningen, while the earlier expedition represented the mayor of Amsterdam and the local branch of the West India Company. Meanwhile, Groningen merchants, not knowing why, continued to recognise Gambia as the property of Prince James. In April 1660, Stiel set off for Gambia. He barely came to St. Andrew's Fort, 3 ships from Amsterdam arrived there, demanding the island's return. The tiny garrison surrendered, and Stiel was imprisoned again. But the ruler of the land of Barra came to the rescue, and shortly the ruler of Kombo joined the action against the Dutch. Without seeing the chance to keep the fort, Dutch commander released Stiel.
But in 1661 Gambia became the mark of an English expedition led by Major Robert Holmes. Darius Kołodziejczyk wrote:
In March of that year, the English landed at the mouth of Gambia demanding Major Stiel to immediately hand over the fort. At that time, the white crew, equipped with 7 sections of St Andrew's Fort, counted 7 people, including at least 2 women. You couldn't dream of a real defense. Major Stiel, however, did not lose his spirit. On 7 March at dusk from the fort, a informing shot was fired at 1 of the English frigates, and among the natives news was widespread that the English wanted to turn them into slaves. This action, as well as the abrupt heats, by a fewer days of the inevitable final. The chief of the fort hoped that the English would respect Kurland's neutrality, but it did nothing. Eventually, on 19 March 1661, the Kurland crew handed the fort to the English. St Andrew's Island was then renamed James Island.
That's how dreams of the colonial empire ended...
Wojciech Kempa
