RSSThe Eastern Caribbean island of Barbados, which is not a million year old, was born as the baby of the Atlantic crustal - Caribbean plate collision, which took place along a volcanic eruption.
If you look back, you will be able to notice that the beautiful, lush green island had been inhabited by the Amerindians tribes, the calm and quiet people of the Arawak tribe followed by a vigorous Caribs, after whom the place was christened. Even though there are grapevines of Caribs taking over the Island from the much peaceful Arawaks, history proves that they never inhabited the place permanently.
But again, history leaves the readers blindfolded with the information that the Island was deserted during the beginning of the 1600s by the Caribs. Still, historians have not been able to trace out whether they migrated to some other or were taken as slaves by the mighty Spanish. Later on, during the 1530s, when the Portuguese travelling to Brazil landed in the Island, they were able to identify some of the initial inhabitants –the Amerindians.
The island was named as Los Barbados, because of the abundant existence of the Ficus trees with beard-like aerial roots. In 1625, King James I of England gained the power over the Island after it was discovered, uninhabited by Captain John Powell. An exhilarated Powell returned to the King only to describe the enchantingly captivating and mesmerising beauty of the Island. In 1627, about 80 English settlers were sent for inhabiting the Island. They occupied a region, which is now famous as Holetown.
The population surged over the 17th and 18th century, but the political turbulence of England paved way to the inflow of English settlers who brought with them the art of cultivating sugar cane. The English, who came into Barbados during this political turmoil, introduced the concept of slavery system in the Caribbean island after they brought innumerable slaves with them from Africa for cultivating sugar cane.
The Island soon became famous as ‘Little England’, mainly due to the wide prevalence of
English traditions and laws. Barbados got its first ever Parliament in the year 1639. The Articles soon grew to become the Charter of Barbados, paving way for the partial independence from the English monarchy.
What followed was a massive and vigorous movement, which led to the independence of the Island nation with the abolishment of slavery in 1834. The women were enfranchised in 1944 while the universal adult suffrage was introduced in 1951. The 1950s saw the birth of a two-party system as well as a cabinet government, thereby granting Barbados its well-deserved independence on November 30, 1966.
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