Spanish Rule
Nearly a century would pass before Spain established Trinidad’s first European community, San Jose de Oruna (St. Joseph). In 1783, the King of Spain established the Cedula of Population to increase population on the island by primarily encouraging planters from neighboring French-colonized islands to come with their enslaved men and women. By 1784, a steady stream of immigration was established, and the population of Puerto d’España (Port of Spain) increased from under 3,000 to 10,422 in five years. In 1797, the Trinidad population stood at 18,627; 2,500 of which were “white,” 5,000 were “free Blacks and people of color,” 10,000 were enslaved Africans, and 1,082 Amerindians.
