c.

c. 1500 – 1650 (Resistance): For approximately 150 years after the initial Spanish arrival, European nations struggled to occupy the Lesser Antilles due to fierce resistance from the Kalinago (Carib) populations. The Kalinago, who claimed ancestral origins from the South American mainland, successfully defended their territories against repeated colonial incursions. This prolonged period of conflict forced European powers to delay permanent settlement until they could muster sufficient military force. The resilience of these indigenous groups demonstrates that they remained a formidable political and military presence in the eastern Caribbean long after the collapse of Greater Antillean chiefdoms.