The Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique, French for Company of the American Islands, was a French chartered company that colonized the following Caribbean islands:

• Guadeloupe (28 June 1635 to 1649)
• Martinique (15 September 1635 to 1650)
• Saint-Christophe island (1635 - 1651) in present Saint Kitts and Nevis

In 1635, France's Cardinal Richelieu charged François Fouquet, the head of a small group of his councilors, with revitalizing the less than dynamic Compagnie de Saint-Christophe in which the Cardinal was a shareholder. Fouquet did so, renaming the company, "Compagnie des Îles de l'Amérique". The company was charged with developing the islands of the Antilles, including converting their inhabitants to Catholicism.^[1] Pierre Bélain sieur d'Esnambuc, who had founded the Compagnie de Saint-Christophe, landed in Martinique in 1635, commencing France's colonization of that island. d'Esnambuc died prematurely in 1636 on Saint-Christophe, leaving the company and Martinique in the hands of his nephew, Du Parquet. Du Parquet proceeded to colonize Martinique, but did not occupy himself with the other islands.^[2]

In 1642 the company received a twenty year extension of its charter. The King would name the Governor General of the company, and the company the Governors of the various islands. However, by the late 1640s, in France Mazarin had little interest in colonial affairs and the company languished. In 1651 it dissolved itself, selling its exploitation rights to various parties. The du Paquet family bought the rights to Martinique, Grenada, and Saint Lucia for 60,000 livres. The sieur d'Houel bought Guadeloupe, Marie-Galante, La Desirade, and the Saintes. The Knights of Malta bought Saint-Christophe, Saint Croix, Saint Barthélemy, and Saint Martin. In 1665, the Knights sold the islands they had acquired to the newly formed (1664) Compagnie des Indes occidentales.^[3]

[edit] Source

• WorldStatesmen- see each relevant island state