Hispaniola’s native population collapsed from 100,000 to a few hundred by 1570.
Evidence
The decline was undoubtedly of disastrous proportions. Even accepting conservative estimates, the pre-Columbian population of Hispaniola must have fallen from about one hundred thousand to only a few hundred in 1570. To make up for the lack of natives, Negro slaves and Indians from the Bahamas were introduced at an early date. That measure alone proves that depopulation there was worse than on the mainland. — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 1899
Nicolas Sanchez-Albornoz disagrees with the figures but comes to the same conclusion. “The decline was undoubtedly of disastrous proportions. Even accepting conservative estimates, the pre-Columbian population of Hispaniola must have fallen from about one hundred thousand to only a few hundred in 1570. To make up for the lack of natives, Negro slaves and Indians from the Bahamas were introduced at an early date. That measure alone proves that depopulation there was worse than on the mainland.” — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 1899
Categorization
- corroborated: 3 independent passages support this claim — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 1899
- XREF: connects to: Saint-Domingue’s population was decimated across successive waves of settlers and slaves.; Hispaniola’s native population collapsed within decades of Spanish conquest; Mexico’s native population collapsed from 25 million to about one million in nine decades — Cedric J. Robinson, Black Marxism_ The Making of the Black…, 628 (+2 more)