BarbadosIS, History

Barbados originally settled as an agricultural colony, eventually became the richest British colony in the 1640s, the first producer of rum and home of the 3rd oldest Parliament in the Commonwealth.

Historical data indicates the island was originally inhabited by the Amerindians but when Carlos a Compos, a Portuguese explorer, landed at the island in 1536, on his way to Brazil , it was uninhabited. He named the island "Los Barbados " which means the "The Bearded Ones" presumably, after the “bearded” fig tree (Ficus Citrifolia), which has long hanging aerial roots that descend from the branches. Few of these trees exist on the island today but they were a part of the island's coastal forest at that time. Carlos a Compos continued on his expedition and no settlement of the island was attempted by the Portuguese.

The island was claimed for Britain in May, 1625 by Captain John Powell, when he and the crew of a ship called the "Olive Blossom" landed at Holetown, after being blown off course during a storm. He called the area where he landed Jamestown in honor of James I, King of England. However, it was not until February 1627 that a group of British settlers and about 10 slaves, which they had acquired en route, arrived on the island under the leadership of Henry Powell, brother of Captain John Powell. Over a period of years, the settlers imported White laborers and artisans from Britain and Scotland under five or seven year contracts of White indentured service. The settlers deforested the land and started growing various export crops.

First they planted tobacco, then sea-island cotton, indigo and ginger. Each crop offered temporary financial success but eventually conditions on the world market became unfavorable to each crop and some farmers were financially ruined. The settlers searched for a new crop but it was not until the introduction of sugar cane, in the 1640s as a commercial crop, with the help of Dutch traders, that the island became profitable. During the 17th century the Barbados sugar industry boomed and the island became the largest sugar producer in the world and the richest colony in the New World . The island was considered to be the most important "Jewel in the Crown." Barbados continued to be a major producer of sugar until the 1720s. The move to sugar as the main export crop resulted in the consolidation of small farms into large plantations and the wealth derived from sugar fell into the hands of a small number of wealthy planters, who eventually dominated politics on the island. The introduction of sugar cane also resulted in the importation of thousands of African slaves, the reduction in the number of indentured servants and the departure of some colonists to seek their fortunes in other colonies, including South Carolina .

The island was under proprietary rule from 1627-1652. First under Sir William Courteen, then under James Hay, the first Earl of Carlisle (Carlisle Bay is named after him), followed by an error in the issue of a proprietorship to the Earl of Pembroke and eventually the reinstatement of the proprietorship to the Earl of Carlisle.

During proprietary rule several governors were appointed to administer the affairs on the island. Some of the governors were, John Powell, William Deane, Charles Wolverston, Sir William Tufton, Henry Hawley, Sargeant-Major Henry Huncks and Philip Bell. During the rule of Governor Wolverston in 1628 the first Justices of the Peace were appointed. The following year, 1629, Sir William Tufton became governor and he divided the island into six parishes, they were, Christ Church , Saint James, St. Thomas , Saint Michael, St. Peter and St. Lucy.

Under Henry Hawley, who held the post of governor on four different occasions, the seeds of democracy and self-government were sown and in 1639 the Barbados parliament was established. ( Barbados ' parliament is the second oldest parliament in the British Colonies and the third oldest parliament in the Commonwealth). Governor Henry Hawley went further and shortly after enacted policies under which a House of Burgesses, eventually called the House of Assembly, made up of sixteen (16) land owners, was formed. These measures were strengthened by Governor Philip Bell, 1641-1649, who divided the island into eleven parishes. Each parish was allowed to select two delegates as representatives in the House.

Over the years, and more specifically in the 1640s and 1650s, the planter elite sought to protect the relatively high level of self-government which the island enjoyed and tried not to align themselves with the King or Parliament during the British Civil War which began in 1642. King Charles I was beheaded in 1649 and the Barbadians sought to retain their political autonomy and resisted rule by the British parliament. Several disputes erupted on the island between the Royalists and Parliament supporters (Cavaliers and the Roundheads) and trade policy disagreements with the Crown ensued.

England was not ready to allow the Barbadian colonists total self-government and the political rights of the Barbadian planters were challenged. The British parliament, under Oliver Cromwell, dispatched a military fleet commanded by Sir George Ayscue to the island. The fleet finally arrived in October, 1651 to enforce British parliament's authority over the colony. Lord Ayscue's fleet blockaded the island for several weeks and prevented supplies from reaching the colonists. During this time, Lord Francis Willoughby who had dispatched to the island to help resolved the disputes among the planters assisted them in drawing up Articles of Agreement - known as the Charter of Barbados, which were agreed to by both sides and signed at The Mermaid Tavern, Oistins on January, 11, 1652. This agreement was designed to give Barbadians the rights to free trade and various areas of internal self-government. The Barbadian planters were allowed to retain control over local taxation and matters of local law and they agreed to recognize the authority of the British Parliament.

Britain passed new Navigation Acts in the 1660s and in 1663 imposed a 4.5 per cent duty on exports from the island. In 1798 the export duty was repealed. The Navigation Acts of 1663 required the Caribbean colonies and North America to trade only with British ships in exchange for a guaranteed market of their exports to England .

The Barbadian colonists continued to strive for better conditions and petitions were sent to the King (Charles II) requesting the removal of the Carlisle grant. The Earl of Carlisle's proprietorship was voided and in 1663 the island became a Crown Colony. However, the island resisted all attempts by the British to implement Crown Colony Government (which they implement in all the other Caribbean Commonwealth islands) and the island retained its own House of Assembly.

There were several aborted slave revolts on the island but the most successful revolt, the Bussa Rebellion, occurred in April, 1816. This uprising started at Bayleys plantation and spread throughout the island. Many properties were damaged, fields of canes were burnt but very few planters were killed.

By the time the Slave Trade Abolition Act was passed in 1807, Barbados had stopped importing slave labor because the slave population on the island had begun to creolize as a result of increased local births. Free Blacks were allowed to vote in 1831 and the slaves in Barbados were emancipated in 1834. Emancipation was followed by a four year apprenticeship where slaves basically continued to work on the same plantations they had worked at during slavery, without wages. When the period of apprenticeship ended on August 1, 1838, some slaves celebrated quietly, while other slaves celebrated in the streets.

The end of slavery did not bring about rapid changes in the lives of free slaves but reforms which allowed the education and the teaching of Christianity to Free Blacks (former slaves) were slowly being implemented.

Prior to the Education Act of 1878 the education of Blacks (limited education was available to Blacks after Emancipation) centered on Religious instruction. This act made elementary education compulsory, it also made government responsible for education and removed the responsibility from the vestries.

Educating Blacks about their political rights became a very pressing issue and one newspaper editor , Samuel Jackman Prescod, a coloured man, spent much of his time informing and educating Blacks. In 1843 Samuel Jackman Prescod became the first non-white member of the Barbados Parliament. By 1919 the Barbados Labour Union was formed. Soon after Charles Duncan O'Neale, a St.Lucy born, mulatto physician, formed Barbados' first political party the Democratic League in 1924. O'Neale later won a seat in the House in 1932.

In 1937 the effects of the worldwide depression created tremendous hardship for Barbadians and workers rioted over poor social conditions and low wages.

In March, 1938 a group of moderate young Blacks formed the Barbados Labour Party under the leadership of C. A (Chrissie) Brathwaite. The Barbados Labour Party later called the Barbados Progressive League eventually reverted to its original name, the Barbados Labour Party. The group included, Edwy Talma, J. A. Martineau and Grantley Herbert Adams, a lawyer and winner in 1918 of the Barbados Scholarship to Oxford. Adams had become a prominent figure after the 1937 riots, following his testimony before the British Moyne Commission, which investigated the causes of the riots. In 1939 Grantley Adams became the leader of the party.

In 1951 Barbados held it first election with universal adult suffrage and no property qualifications.

Barbados formed a full ministerial government in 1954. Grantley Herbert Adams became the island's first Premier and held that position from February 1954 until April, 1958. Sir Hugh Gordon Cummins was the second Premier from April, 1958 - December 1961. Errol Barrow became the island's third and final Premier from December 1961- November, 1966.

The Democratic Labour Party was formed in 1955 by members of the Barbados Labour Party ( including Errol Walton Barrow) who broke away from the party to pursue more socialist policies for the country. The Democratic Labour Party won the Barbados general elections in 1961 and took the county to Independence in 1966, under the leadership of Errol Walton Barrow.

Barbados was a member of the West Indies Federation along with nine other British Caribbean colonies. The colonies came together and formed a Federation on April 22, 1958 to gain independence from Britain. The Federation collapsed in 1962 after Jamaica and later Trinidad and Tobago pulled out of the Federation. Grantley Adams who later became (Sir Grantley Adams) was only Prime Minister of the Federation.

Full internal self-government was achieved in 1961. The General elections were won by the Democratic Labour Party.

Barbados remained a British colony for over 300 years during which time over sixty governors, either appointed or acting, held office on the island. The last governor of Barbados was Sir John Stow who governed from October 8, 1959 to November 29, 1966.

Under the Democratic Labour Party, led by Errol Barrow (nephew of Charles Duncan O'Neale) the island became independent on November 30, 1966 . Errol Barrow became Barbados' first Prime Minister and Sir Winston Scott became the Barbados' first local born Governor General. The Democratic Labour Party held office from 1966 - 1976.

In 1976 the Barbados Labour Party under the leadership of (JMGM) Jon Michael Geoffrey Manningham "Tom" Adams, son of Sir Grantley Adams, won the Barbados General Elections. The party remained in power from 1976 - 1986. In 1985 Tom Adams died and Bernard ("Bree") St. John became Prime Minister.

Under Errol Barrow's leadership the party regained power in 1986. Errol Barrow died in June 1987 and Erskine Lloyd Sandiford became Prime Minister.

From 1994 to 2008 , the Barbados Labour Party, under the leadership of Owen S Arthur has won three general elections. Owen S Arthur is the Prime Minister of Barbados and Mia A. Mottley is the Deputy Prime Minister.

In January 2008, the Democratic Labour Party recaptured the government. Hon. David Thompson is the Prime Minister and the Deputy Prime Minister is Freundel Stuart.

Sources: A Brief History of the Caribbean : From the Arawak and the Carib to the Present – Jan Rogozinski, 1994;

A History of Barbados : From Amerindian settlement to nation-state – Hilary McD. Beckles, 2000

Coat of Arms

FLAG

NATIONAL FLOWER