THE HAGUE, WILLEMSTAD – The National Archives of the Netherlands has launched a new online resource that makes it easier for people to trace Curaçao ancestors and research the island’s slavery and colonial history. The portal brings together historical registers, digitized archives and genealogical resources, with some records searchable directly by name.
The new Curaçao research portal provides access to several important collections covering the period of slavery and emancipation on Curaçao.
Among the records are Curaçao’s slave and emancipation registers from 1839 to 1863, as well as information about people who obtained their freedom through manumission between 1722 and 1863. Records connected to the abolition of slavery in 1863 are also included, together with information about plantations and real estate on the island.
For people researching their family history, the portal also directs users to the online civil registry of the National Archives of Curaçao and other genealogical databases.
Tracing enslaved ancestors can be particularly challenging. Enslaved people generally had only a first name recorded and, in many cases, received a surname only when they were freed. Researchers may therefore need to combine different historical records to establish family connections.
The new portal is not limited to slavery-related research. It also provides pathways to information about military personnel who served in the West Indies and civil servants who worked in Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles.
Several major historical collections are accessible digitally as well, including archives connected to the Dutch West India Company and the colonial administration.
Tula's account among historical documents
One of the significant documents highlighted through the historical collections is the 1795 account concerning Tula written by Father Jacobus Schinck.
The document provides an important historical account concerning Tula and the 1795 slave revolt on Curaçao.
The timing of the new portal is significant. The National Archives published the Curaçao page on August 17, the date on which Curaçao commemorates the 1795 uprising led by Tula and the struggle against slavery.
Historical photographs have also become easier to locate. The National Archives' digital photo collection contains more than 2,000 images of Curaçao, including historic photographs of Willemstad, Barber and Lagun.
At the same time, the National Archives cautions researchers about the limitations of surviving colonial records. Many of the documents are incomplete and were created primarily from the perspective of the colonial authorities rather than the people whose lives they recorded.
The archive therefore recommends combining written colonial records, where possible, with other sources of historical information, including oral histories.
The new portal effectively brings resources that were previously spread across different collections and databases into one starting point, potentially making it considerably easier for Curaçaoans at home and abroad to investigate their family histories and the island's past.