Pre-History
According
to historian
Padre Juan
de Velasco,
the Caras
were the first
peoples to
populate the
area, arriving
from present-day
Manabi. Archaeological
findings suggest
that various
cultures existed
in the region
such as the
Valdivia and
Chorrera civilisations
which date
back to around
3000 years
B.C.
Other tribes
include the
Atacames,
Tolas and
Cayapas.
According
to historian
Gonzalez Suarez,hese
tribes were
not dominated
by the Incas
when they
invaded, they
maintained
their hold
on the territory
and remained
autonomous.
The
Conquest
According
to Gonzalez
Suarez, Bartolome
Ruiz was the
first European
to visit the
Ecuadorian
coast.
Present-day
Esmeraldas
was the area
that he wanted
to conquer.
Ruiz approached
the indigenous
in a peaceful
manner and
was therefore
received in
a friendly
way by the
population.
At this time
there were
three large
towns in the
area and the
inhabitants
were apparently
adorned with
gold jewellery.
The
pilot continued
his journey
along the
coast and
encountered
a Peruvian
boat in which
several indigenous
inhabitants
of Tumbez
were travelling
to negotiate
business with
the inhabitants
of Esmeraldas
and Manabi.
After his
trip, Ruiz
returned to
the area with
Pizarro, Almagro
and his men.
The disembarked
in the bay
of San Mateo
on 21st September
1526.
The did not
receive a
warm welcome
by the indigenous
this time.
The inhabitants
were weary
of the foreigners'
motives
and feared
an attack,
they reembarked,
but Pizarro
remained with
his reinforcements
on the Isla
del Gallo.
In 1531 Pizarro
returned for
the definitive
phase of his
conquest of
the coast
of the Esmeraldas.
The
Colonial Era
During
the colonial
era there
were various
conquest expeditions
and missions
in the province.
The indigenous
were considered
savage and
and dangerous.
Among tribes
inhabiting
the area were:
the Niguas,
Lachis, Campaces,
Malabas and
the Cayapas.
However, the
absence of
a route connecting
the province
with the interandean
region meant
that the zone
stayed relatively
isolated until
the end of
the 17th century.
Pedro Vicente
Maldonado
was the first
to work on
route connecting
the provices.
In this time
the Esmeraldas
extended from
hte Isla de
Tumaco to
the Bay of
Caraquez with
a population
of 2 thousand
inhabitants.
Liberal
Campaign
The
Esmeraldas
province was
an important
site for struggles
and battles
during the
Republican
period.
The inhabitants
of the province
have always
had a strong
liberal tradition.
In 1880 Eloy
Alfaro arrived
to the province
on an
expedition
that failed.
In 1883 Alfaro
entered the
province again
and from there
he he began
his triumphant
campaign along
the coast.
As a result
of the struggles
that took
place, Colonel
Luis Vargas
Torres was
killed in
1887.
In 1911 Alfaristas
proclaimed
Flavio Alfaro
supreme chief
as the antecedent
of the bloody
episodes which
culminated
in the death
of Eloy Alfaro
in Quito in
1912.
Between 1913-1916
during Leonidas
Plaza's second
term in the
presidency,
the province
was the scene
of a the revolt
of Carlos
Concha Torres.
The revolt
ended during
the presidency
of Baquerizo
Moreno.
The
Black Population
The
majority of
the province's
population
is black and
various studies
have shown
the influence
of the black
popultion
in Ecuadorian
culture.
According
to Gonzalez
Suarez, the
first blacks
to arrive
in the Esmeraldas
were shipwrecked
and were saved
by a boat
on the coast
of the province.
The first
was Alonso
Illescas who
had lived
in Seville
in Spain and
spoke Castilian.
The black
population
subdued the
indigenous
populations.
The influences
of the black
population
in Ecuadorian
culture is
manifested
in dances,
music, poetry
and cuisine
even today.
Last
Updated 21st
August 2006
(DLW)
