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Caribbean Colonial Statistics from the British Empire, 1824–1950 - Volumes
Volumes
21 volumes in Caribbean Colonial Statistics from the British Empire, 1824–1950 | Page 5 of 6
Tortola, 1839-1842
Tortola would, in all likelihood, have been settled by Amerindians prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus. It was settled by Dutch pirates in 1648, then taken by British planters in 1666, before its incorporation into the British Leeward Islands in 1672. Slaves were introduced to Tortola to work on the sugar plantations there. Slaves on Tortola did rebel, but rebellions were crushed. Tortolian slaves were freed in the year before these Blue Books commence. As a part of the British Virgin Islands, Tortola remains a British Overseas Territory. Read more →
Trinidad, 1873-1901
Trinidad was colonized by the Spanish in 1532, taken by the British in 1797 and officially ceded to the British under a treaty with Spain in 1802. Enslaved labourers in Trinidad were legally freed in 1834, although subject to terms of apprenticeship until 1838. Indian indentured labourers worked the plantations from the 1840s. Read more →
Trinidad and Tobago, 1889-1938
Tobago was first amalgamated with Trinidad, to form one colony, in 1889. Trinidad and Tobago then gained universal suffrage in 1945. Dr. Eric Williams formed the People's National Movement in 1956, having written his PHD Thesis on The Economic Aspect of the West Indian Slave Trade and Slavery. Trinidad and Tobago joined the British-sponsored West Indies Federation in 1958; however, it only stayed until it gained independence in 1962. Upon the granting of independence, Dr. Williams became the first Prime Minister of Trinidad and Tobago. Read more →
Turks and Caicos Islands, 1878-1891
The Turks Islands are believed to have been settled by Amerindians since at least 900 AD, they were then discovered by Christopher Columbus and his crew in approximately 1492. Within 20 years of the Spaniards' arrival, the local population had been eradicated by a combination of slavery and disease. Bermudan 'wrackers' first visited the Turks Islands to rake salt between 1660 and 1730, signaling the start of the local salt industry. Between 1710 and 1764 the islands were colonized by Spain, France and Britain. Slaves on the Turks and Caicos Islands saw the opportunities proffered by the traffic of sailing boats and a significant number of them boarded unattended boats, sailing away from their masters. In 1767 the Government reacted to this development by holding any sailor who left sails on his boat overnight financially liable for any slaves who escaped upon it.In 1799 the Turks and Caicos Islands were placed under the jurisdiction of the British colony of the Bahamas, but tensions between the two colonies made the arrangement unsustainable and in 1848 the Turks and Caicos Islands were permitted to govern themselves. The islands struggled to govern themselves economically between 1848 and 1873, so in 1874 the Turks Islands were transferred to Jamaica. The slaves on the Islands were released in 1838, after an apprenticeship of 4 years. Whilst Jamaica became independent in 1962, the Turks and Caicos Islands have chosen to remain a British Overseas Colony; the colony gained its first self-elected government in 1976. Read more →
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