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The
History of
Barbados
"A Timeline of This Caribbean Island's Past"
A Complete Timeline of The History of Barbados
• The Arawaks were the first
inhabitants of the island in 1620 B.C.
You may or may not know but
orginally this island was inhabited by
Arawak Indians, a tribe of Amerindians. This aborignal
tribe came over to the Caribbean island from neighbouring
South
America, just south west of the island. It is believed that
the
majority were from Venezuela.
The
Arawak Indians thrived on growing their own crops including cassava
and
cotton. The Arawaks also hunted for their food using man made
harpoons and nets to catch fish.
• The Caribs
Take Over The Island in 1200
The
Caribs, another tribe of Amerindians, also came from the north
coast of South America, living in the rainforests of Venezuela.
The
Caribs however were a larger and more powerful tribe than the
Arawaks. They were known to be a war oriented group who
practiced
cannibalism as a war ritual. It is believed that in 1200 The
Caribs
killed the Arawaks and over took the island.
•
The
Spanish Take Over The Island in 1492
In
1492 The Spanish discovered Barbados, enslaving The Caribs while
introducing diseases such as Small Pox and Tuberculosis to the island.
It is believed
that
these diseases killed off The Carib tribes. The Spanish
however
left Barbados and continued on to explore the larger Caribbean islands
to the north.
• The Explorer
Pedro a Campos names the island, Los Barbados in 1536
About
4 decades later, a Portuguess explorer named Pedro a Campos was on his
way to Brazil when he landed on Barbados. He didn't settle on
the
island but did name it Los
Barbados or The
Beareded Ones.
This
is believed to be named after the Bearded Fig Trees found throughout
the
island. These trees have long roots making them look like
they
have beards.
•
The
English Arrive in Barbados in 1625
Captain
John Powell, an English Explorer, claimed the island for King James The
1st, in 1625.
2 years later another English Explorer named Captain Henry Powell
brought settlers to the island, landing in what is now known as
Holetown
on the west coast of the island.
• Barbados is
divided into six parishes in 1629
In
1629, the island was subdivided in to 6 different regions called
parishes. These parishes were called St. Lucy, St. Peter, St.
James, St.Michael, St. Thomas and Christ Church.
• Pieter Blower
introduces Sugar Cane to the island in 1637
Pieter
Blower was a Dutchman who had learned to grow sugar cane in Brazil.
He was the reason for a great boom in the economy of Barbados
in
the mid 1600s propelling Barbados to the wealthiest British colony of
the time.
• The House Of Assembly is formed
in 1639
The
English settlers formed a House of Assembly in 1639 and Barbados
becomes
a British Colony.
• Deforestation
and Sugar Plantions of 1640
Barbados
experienced a period of mass deforestation in 1640. This was
done in order to build sugar
cane plantations and clear fields for mass production of the sugar
crop. This is when sugar cane cultivation in Barbados truely
began thanks to Pieter Blower.
As the need
for labour became
more and more prominent in the eyes of sugar plantation owners,
thousands of African slaves were imported from the west coast of Africa
on overcrowded ships.
•
The
Island is divided in to 11 parishes in 1645
In 1645, 5 more parishes were formed dividing
the island into a total of 11 parishes.
These parishes were St. Lucy, St. Peter, St. John,
St. Andrew, St. James, St. George,
St. Thomas, St. Joseph, St.Michael, St. Philip and Christ Church, and
exist to this date.
•
Oliver
Cromwell seizes control of the island in 1649
In
1649, King Charles was executed and Oliver Cromwell, an English
military
and political leader, attempted to take control of Barbados.
However The House of Assemby that was currently ruling the
country rejected him. This lead to Cromwell sending a fleet
of British military over to the island to seize it.
Cromwell was successful.
• The Charter
of Barbados in 1652
In early 1652, with Cromwell now in power, The Articles of Capitulation
were signed. These articles were signed in a small fishing
village
on the south coast of the island, now known as Oistins. This
is
where the Oistins Fish Fry is held every week.
The Artilces of
Capitulation
became The Charter of
Barbados.
•
The
Emigration of over 22,000 Barbadians in 1670
As
the sugar cane industry continued to boom throughout the mid to late
1600s less and less land was owned by non-white locals.
This resulted
in thousands of poor black Barbadians leaving the island, many seeking
new lives in nearby islands.
•
Importation
of African slaves in the 1700s & 1800s skyrockets the island's
population
By
the early 1800s the importation of slaves from the African coast
reached a total of almost 400,000! Barbados had now become
the
most densely populated island in the Caribbean with white Europeans
continuing to own the majority of land.
•
Hurricane
San Calixto II of 1780
On
October 9th of 1780 a disastrous hurricane strike the island killing
over 4,000 locals. This was the deadliest hurricane to hit
Barbados in ancient history.
• The Barbados
Slave Trade is Abolished in 1807
Finally
in 1807 the use of African slaves was abolished, the beginning of an
important change in Barbados slave history.
• The Slaves
Rebel in 1816
Even
though slavery had been abolished people were still allowed to keep
african
slaves
they had previously owned. This lead to the slaves rebelling
on
Easter Sunday of 1816 (April 14th), being lead by an african slave
called Bussa.
The rebellion was therefore labelled Bussa's Rebellion.
The
rebellion started in the southern regions of the island and was
eventually brought to an end by the military. Bussa died
during
the
rebellion and you can see a statue of him while driving along the
highway of the island, a tribute to his impact on Barbados slave
history.
•
The
Great Barbados Hurricane of 1831
Barbados was struck by another
devastating hurricane on August 10th of 1831 resulting in the deaths
of 1500 people.
• Slavery
Becomes An Apprentice System in 1834
In
1834, a 4 year apprenticeship system was developed that allowed those
who were slaves better living conditions. During this time slaves
worked for their owners with out pay and lived in small huts on
plantation properties. This marked a major change for the good in the
lives of the
black Barbadian population.
• Emancipation
And The Right To Vote in 1838
Once
the 4 year apprenticeship had ended in 1838 slavery was finally
abolished and blacks were now given the right to vote.
•
Cholera
Epidemic in 1854
In
1854 Barbados experienced an outbreak of Cholera, an infestious disease
that causes inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract.
Cholera
was spread throughout the island by unsanitary water.
John
Castello Montefiore, a plantation owner and merchant, was one of the
first persons to die from the disease during this outbreak.
As a
result his son erected a drinking fountain called The Montefiore Fountain
at The Montefiore Gardens.
•
The
Income Qualification For Voters is decreased in 1884
In 1884 persons with an income of £50 sterling
were given the right to vote.
•
The
Windwards Islands Hurricane of 1898
On September
10th, 1898 another hurricane struck Barbados killing more than 80
people.
• The
Democratic League Of Barbados is formed in 1924
The
first all black political group is created by Charles Duncan O'Neal,
and is called the Democratic League of Barbados.
•
Economic
Depression in 1931
In
the early 1930s Barbados felt the effects of the worldwide economic
depression.
The Sugar Industry began to crash and many Black workers
became
unemployed. Times had become tough and reform was
soon to come.
•
Protests
& Riots During The Depression in 1937
Even
though slavery had been abolished almost a century ago there was still
great tension between the white plantation owners and the
oppressed black plantation workers.
Clement Payne,
a popular
advocate for the formation of Barbados Trade Unions, brought together
the black poor working class of Barbados and preached of standing up to
the white plantation owners.
On July 26th of 1937 Clement
Payne was deported from the island as the country's rulers viewed him
as a threat. This lead to an uproar amongst his followers who
gathered in the capital of the island, Bridgetown.
Protests
escalated into a violent 4 day riot with many downtown businesses being
damaged. Luckily the death count was only 14. These
riots resulted in probing and intervention by Britain's Government and
signified the begin of social reform in Barbados.
Clement Payne is now known as one of Barbados' National Heroes.
• The Barbados Labour Party Founded
in 1938
An
organization known as the Barbados Progressive League was then formed
in October of 1983 and was lead by Sir
Grantley Herbert Adams.
This institution's main goal was to protect the rights of the
less fortunate Barbadian workers, developing trade unions in an attempt
to increase wages for the poor. The league was later renamed
to The Barbados Labour
Party (BLP).
• Grantley
Adams elected to The House Of Assembly in 1940
Under the leadership of Grantley Adams the
Barbados Labour Party won five seats in The House Of Assembly in 1940.
•
The
Barbados Workers Union formed in 1941
On
4th October, 1941 the Barbados Workers Union (BWU) was formed with
a goal to be a trade union that helps improve the quality of
the
lives of Barbadian workers. Grantley Adams took up position as The
President of The BWU.
•
Women
are given the right to vote in 1944
Women were then given the right to vote as
well as be members of the Barbados House of Parliament in 1944.
•
Income
Qualification for voters is decreased in 1944
Persons with an income of £20
sterling were given the right to vote in 1944.
• The BLP wins
office in 1946
In
November of 1946 The Barbados Labour Party won the election and The
Bushe Experiment allowed members quasi-ministerial portfolios.
This was all accomplished under the lead of Grantley Adams.
•
World
War II comes to an end and the Sugar Industry begins its decline in 1950
After
the end of World War II the sugar industry in Barbados began to decline
due to an increase in competition from the international market.
This caused a decrease in the selling price of
sugar. Many sugar
factories would shutdown over the next 5 decades and the Barbados
government
began to develop its tourism industry to supplement the economy.
• Adult
Suffrage is implemented in 1950
Universal
adult suffrage was introduced to the island in 1950 thanks to Grantley
Adams' push for Democracy throughout the island.
Persons
21 years or older were now given the right to vote.
• Errol Barrow
Becomes Leader Of The BLP in 1951
In
1951, a Barbados Statesman from the parish of St.Lucy by the name of
Errol Walton Barrow became the leader of the Barbados Labour Party.
He would soon leave this party and form his own political
party
in 1955.
•
Sir
Grantley Adams Becomes The First Premier of Barbados in 1954
Sir
Grantley Adams, leader of the BLP, took up position as The First
Premier of Barbados in 1954 under a Ministerial Government.
•
Sir
Grantley Adams Resigns As Preseident of the BWU in 1954
Sir Grantley Adams stepped down from his
position as president of the Barbados Workers Union in 1954.
• Errol Barrow
Forms The DLP in 1955
A
new political party called the Democratic Labour Party, led by Errol
Walton Barrow, was formed in 1955. Errol Barrow was
previously a
member
and leader of the Barbados Labour Party in 1951 but soon became
dissatified forming this more liberal party.
The BLP and DLP
have
been the top two opposing Barbados political parties to this
date.
• Hurricane
Janet of 1955
A
Category 3 Hurricane called Janet struck Barbados on September 22nd of
1955. This hurricane killed 38 people.
•
BLP
wins the election in 1956
A general election takes places and The
Barbados Labour Party wins the majority of seats keeping this party in
office.
• Sir Grantley
Adams is knighted in 1957
In
1957, Sir Grantley Adams was knighted by The Queen of England for his
tremendous impact on the socioeconomic lives of people in the Caribbean.
• Grantley
Adams becomes Prime Minister of The West Indies Federation in 1958
At the beginning of 1958, 24 Caribbean British
colonies joined together to form The
West Indies Federation.
This Federation was created in an attempt to form one
political
Caribbean body that would break away from Britian and become an
independent Caribbean unit.
The first elections for The
West Indies Federation
took place on March 25th of 1958 with the West Indies Federal Labour Party
winning. This party was led by a Barbadian politician by the
name of Grantley
Herbert Adams, who then became the first Prime Minister of
the Federation.
• Cummins
becomes The Premier of Barbados in 1958
As
Sir Grantley Adams took up the position of Prime Minister of The West
Indies Federation another member of the BLP, Hugh Gordon Cummins, was
chosen by Adams to become Barbados' second Premier.
• DLP wins the
elections and Errol Barrow becomes The Premier of Barbados in 1961
An
election was held in 1961 and the Democratic Labour Party, lead by
Errol Walton
Barrow, won causing a shift in political office. Errol
Barrow's face can be seen depicted on the $50 dollar Barbados bill.
• The Voting
Age is reduced in 1964
In 1964, the elegability to vote was reduced
to 18 years
of age.
•
The
Barbados Constitution of 1966
On
22nd of November in 1966 The Barbados Independence Order was brought
before the Barbados Parliament. 8 days later, on the 30th of
November in 1966, the order was accepted and put into operation.
The order is now commonly referred to as The Barbados Constitution.
• Barbados
becomes independent and has its first Prime Minister in 1966
On November 30, 1966 Barbados finally became
independent from Britain and the designation of Premier of Barbados
was changed to
Prime
Minister of Barbados. This made Errol Barrow
Barbados' first ever Prime Minister
under a self government. November 30 of 1966 has gone down as
a major milestone in Barbados political history.
• Barbados
becomes a member of The United Nations in 1967
In 1967, Barbados then joined The United
Nations.
• Barbados has
its First Native Governor General in 1967
Sir
Arleigh Winston Scott, a medical practitioner, was appointed the
position of the first Governor General of Barbados by The
Queen of
England in 1967.
• Sir Grantley
Adams passes away in 1971
On November 28th of 1971 Sir Grantley Adams
passed away at the age of 73. His son, Tom Adams, then
took over his position.
•
The
Barbados Labour Party wins the election in 1976
The
BLP now lead by the son of Grantley Adams, Tom Adams, won the general
elections in 1976. At this time Tom Adams became The 2nd
Prime
Minister of Barbados.
• Sir Winston Scott Passes Away in
1976
In 1967 Sir Winston Scott passed away and was
replaced by Sir Deighton Ward as Governor General of Barbados.
•
The
Number Of Seats is increased in 1980
The number of seats in The House Of Assembly
was increased to 27 from 24 in 1980.
•
The
Barbados Labour Party wins the election in 1981
In 1981 the BLP, lead by Tom Adams son of
Grantly Adams, won the general election over the DLP.
•
Tom
Adams Dies and Brenard St. John succeeds in 1985
In
March of 1985, Prime Minister Tom Adams passed away in his home of a
heart attack. He was further succeeded by Bernard St.John the
new
leader of the Barbados Labour Party.
•
The
Democratic Labour Party wins the election in 1986
There was a change of governement in 1986
after the May 28th election when the
DLP won 24 of the 27 seats in the House Of Assembly. This was
due
to the public great dissatisfaction with Prime Minister Bernard
St.John, the succeedor to John Adams.
The leader of the DLP
at
that time, Errol Barrow, then became the 4th Prime Minister of
Barbados. This was his second time as Prime Minister.
• Errol Barrow
dies in 1987
Only
a year after Errol Barrow regained his position as Prime Minister of
Barbados in May of 1986 he passed away at the age of 67. He
was
then succeeded by Lloyd Erskine Sandiford, Deputy Prime Minister at the
time from the Democratic Labour Party and former Minister of Education.
•
Barbados
Tourism Industry continues to grow rapidly into 1990
In
1956 the total number of visitors to the island was approximately
30,000. By the early 1900s this number had increased to
almost
800,000!
The island's main economic focus had shifted from the production of
sugar to tourism.
•
BLP
wins the general elections in 1994
The Barbados Labour Party won the general
elections in 1994 regaining office. The party was now led by Owen Arthur who
became the island's 6th Prime Minister.
•
U.S
President Bill Clinton visits the island in 1997
On
May 11th of 1997 the U.S President Bill Clinton and his wife Hilary
Clinton visited the island to attend a Caribbean Summit. This
summit included leaders from 14 other Caribbean countries.
• BLP wins the
general elections in 1999
The
Barbados Labour Party won the general elections in 1999 and remained in
office with Owen Arthur serving a second term as Prime Minister of
Barbados.
•
BLP
wins the general elections in 2003
The
Barbados Labour Party won the general elections for a third time in
2003 with Owen Arthur serving a third consecutive term as
Prime
Minister of Barbados
• DLP wins the
general elections in 2008
On the 15th of January of 2008 The Decomcratic
Labour Party, after 9 years, defeated the Barbados Labour Party.
David Thompson
became the island's 7th Prime Minister.
Barbados
Weather History
Barbados
has a great weather history of year
round sunny and warm weather with temperatures averaging
26 degrees celsius or 81 degrees fahrenheit.
However
the position of Barbados does place it just south of the path of
tropical Atlantic storms travelling west off the African coast.
This creates a wet season from June to October during which
the
island experience's an increase in rainfall and a small chance of storm
and hurricane activity.
Regardless, the Barbados weather history has shown that the chance of
Barbados experiencing a direct
hurricane hit to be slim to none. The last time we were hit
by a
hurricane was in 1955! Thats
over 52 years ago!
It
is more common during the wet season for the island to experince
tropical storms and depressions. These cause short periods of
heavy rain and overcast skies in the Barbados weather.
A
Timeline of The Barbados Hurricane History
Here
is a list of the hurricanes that have come near to or hit Barbados in
the past:
• Hurricane San
Calixto II of 1780
Hurricane
San Calixto still to this date the deadliest hurricane Barbados has
ever experienced killing 4500 people. This
hurricane formed in early October of 1780 reaching Barbados on October
9th.
51 years later....
• The Great Barbados
Hurricane of 1831
Reaching
a Category 4, this hurricane was the second most deadly hurricane in
Barbados weather history and is remembered by the devastation caused by
its 17 foot storm surge. This hurricane struck the
island on
August 10th of 1831 killing 1500 people.
67
years later....
• The
Windwards Islands Hurricane of 1898
 This
was one of the most destructive hurricanes in the history of Caribbean
weather causing the most damage to the islands of Barbados and
St.Vincent.
This
hurricane developed in early August of 1898 reaching a Category 2
hurricane and hitting Barbados the night of Saturday,
September
10th 1898.
Photo: The Hurricane
Track of The Windwards Islands Hurricane
The hurricane killed more than
80 people and left thousands homeless.
57 years later....
• Hurricane
Janet of 1955
 When
Hurricane Janet hit Barbados on September 22nd of 1955 it was a
Category 3 hurricane.
This hurricane had wind speeds up to 120 mph killing 38 people.
Photo: The Hurricane Track of
Hurricane Janet
??? years later....
It has now been 52 years since Barbados has been directly struck by a
Hurricane.
But if you are still worried about it
raining during your vacation in Barbados, then just travel here during
the months of January to April when the island receives under 2 inches of rain!
Barbados
Flag History
After
the independence of Barbados in November of 1966, the Government of
Barbados held a nation wide competition allowing people to
submit designs for the Barbados flag. This
competition
attracted
1,029 entries.
The winning entry was submitted by an art teacher
known as Grantley Prescod.
Prescod's design used the colour
blue to represent the Barbados sky and sea and the colour gold to
represent our sand.
He also included a broken trident in
the centre of the flag to represent Barbados' independence and
separation from England. This design has since then been used
as
the current Barbados flag.
For his design Grantley Prescod received a gold medal, an inscribed
scroll and 500 dollars.
Prescod lived to 77 when he passed
away on November 12th of 2003.
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