Barbados History

Barbados offers more than the usual tropical beaches, sun, sea and sand, Barbados provides places to visit that offer an enchanting glimpse into its interesting heritage and history.

This tropical Caribbean island is also known as Little England, and was first occupied by English colonists in 1627, landing at Holetown on the West Coast. They found an uninhabited island, but apparently the island had previously been settled by Arawak Indians some 1,500 years earlier. The Arawak's were defeated by the war like Caribs, who in turn were taken into slavery by Spaniards for use in Hispaniola, now called Haiti and Dominican Republick. As often occurred in other locations around the world with an influx of foreigners from far lands, the remaining Caribs eventually secumbed to European diseases and died.

In 1536 the Portuguese briefly explored the area and named Barbados the island of the Bearded, or Isle de los Barbados, probably named after the bearded fig trees that grew on the island, or the Grizzled Banyan trees with roots that resembled beards.  The Portugese and Spanish were more interested in South America, and Barbados was left uninhabited until the English arrived a century later. The first settlement being established near their first landing place at Holetown on the west coast, some three years later another settlement became established at Bridgetown, which offered a good harbour. The land being fairly flat and fertile was very suitable for agriculture aided by the wonderful climate, the first crops being tobacco and cotton. Following the English Civil War exiled Scots, Welsh, and Irish arrived as bonded servants.

From around 1640 sugar cane became established as the most suitable produce and slaves were imported from Africa to work in the sugar cane plantations. Soon these African slaves became the majority of the population outnumbering the Europeans, but slavery continued until it was eventually banned by the British around 1807. Land ownership remained for the priveledged few, being around 20 families who ran the economy and the local government in the form of a parliament which became established in 1639.  Barbados has been an independant nation since 1966. 

Today Barbados is a nation of equal opportunity and Barbadians are people of strength and dignity, proud of their island.  A visit to the Barbados Museum is an excellent way to learn about the interesting history of Barbados.