Among the various regions of the new world probably none carries more continued interest than that surrounding the Caribbean Sea. Off its northern border lies the first land seen by Columbus on his voyage of discovery, and within it is all he ever saw of the new world. In little more than a generation following his death occurred the spectacular spread of Spanish exploration and colonization which brought to Europeans a superficial knowledge of all of the Caribbean region and made it the starting point for expeditions which reached farther north than the site of St. Louis, Missouri, and farther south than that of Santiago, Chile.
In this same short period gold and silver began to find their way back by the Caribbean from Mexico and Peru and to make themselves a doubtful blessing in the mother country, a great stimulus to the commerce of more industrially developed nations, and a potent influence in turning attention from possible development of the Caribbean region itself to the farther territories which offered quicker returns to the adventurous.
Through the waters crossed by the first discoverers soon sailed the Spanish treasure fleets convoyed by warships to protect them from capture by the forces of the countries of northern Europe. On them came to be fought out the long struggle by which these latter sought to break down the Spanish trade monopoly
…