ABOUT BARBADOS
Our Island Barbados
Barbados is the eastern-most Caribbean island. The history of the early settlement of Barbados is being rewritten as a result of recent archaeological discoveries unearthed at the site of Port St. Charles. Artifacts and evidence point to settlement some time around 1623 A.D. The first indigenous people were Amerindians who arrived here from Venezuela.
In 1625 - 1644 English Colonization was introduced to the island.
1625 - 1644 English Colonisation
The first English ship - May 14th 1625 under the command of Captain John Powell and claimed on behalf of King James I. On February 17th 1627, Captain Henry Powell landed in Holetown(formerly Jamestown), with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves to occupy and settle the island.. The colonists established a House of Assembly in 1639. It was the 3rd ever Parliamentary Democracy in the world (Barbados History).
During the 1630’s, the production of sugar, tobacco and cotton was heavily reliant on the indenture of servants
1644 . 1700 . Sugar and Slavery
Dutch Merchants traded slaves from Sierra Leone, Guinea, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Cameroon.
http://axses.com/encyc/bta/archives/detail-memo.cfm?ID=384 Barbados Saga -Slave Ships and Human bondage.
1807 - 1838 . Abolition, rebellion and emancipation
See http://axses.com/encyc/bta/archives/detail-memo.cfm?ID=385 - Barbados Saga - The Bussa Rebellion (1)
After slavery was abolished in 1834, many of the new citizens of Barbados took advantage of the superb education available on the island.
1961-1966 Independence
Barbados was first occupied by the British in 1627 and remained a British colony until 1961. The Island gained full independence in 1966. As a member of the British Commonwealth, it is represented in Barbados by the Governor General. The first Prime Minister was The Right Honourable, Errol Walton Barrow, of the Democratic Labour Party. The other major political party is the Barbados Labour Party. The National Democratic Party was formed by leader, Dr.Richie Haynes.
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