Aruba Colonial Records

Spanish Colonization (1499-1636)
The island of Aruba was first claimed by Spain in 1499 by Alonso de Ojeda, who was named the first governor of the island in 1508. Aruba remained under Spanish rule until 1636.

Dutch Colonization (1636-currently)
The Netherlands seized Aruba from Spain in 1636 during the Thirty Years War. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles in 1986 and became an autonomous country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The original plan was for Aruba to become fully independent. However, in 1990 Aruba indefinitely postponed this plan, and in 1995 the petition for full independence was repealed. Currently, Aruba remains a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

British Colonization (1806-1816)
During the Napoleonic Wars, the British Empire took control of the island, occupying it between 1806 and 1816, before giving back to the Dutch according to the terms of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814.