History of Antigua

A brief history of Antigua prior to independance.

approx 2400 BC
The Siboney were the first people to inhabit Antigua, settling there around 2400 BC. The name Siboney is an Arawak word that means "stone people".
History of the Siboney
  • The Siboney were hunter-gatherers
  • They left behind stone and shell tools at many sites across the island
  • They had unusual rituals and practices, such as burying some of their bones with family members
approx 200 BC
Saladoid culture was a pre-Columbian culture of ceramic-producing, agricultural people who settled in Antigua and other islands in the Lesser Antilles
  • The Saladoid culture originated in the Orinoco River valley in Venezuela
  • They displaced the pre-ceramic Ortoiroid culture
  • Their pottery is highly decorated and includes zoomorphic effigy vessels, incense burners, platters, trays, jars, and bowls
about 1400
The Caribs arrived from Venezuela by canoe.
  • They were known for their warfare and internal conflicts.
  • The Carib were expert navigators who used large dugout canoes to raid other peoples.
  • Archaeologists say early Caribbeans were not 'savage cannibals', as colonists wrote.
1493
Christopher Columbus visits Antigua during his second voyage and names it after the Church of Santa Maria de la Antigua in Seville, Spain.
1520
Don Antonio Serrano attempts to colonise Antigua, expels indigenous people.
1520
Don Antonio Serrano was a Spanish explorer who attempted to colonize Antigua in 1520. He was granted a royal charter by the King of Spain to take control of Antigua, Barbuda, and Montserrat.
  • They expelled the remaining indigenous population.
  • The Carib were expert navigators who used large dugout canoes to raid other peoples.
  • They left shortly after, leaving the island uncolonised.
1627
James Hay, the 1st Earl of Carlisle, was granted the islands of Antigua and other Caribbean islands.
  • A favorite of King James I.
  • The Carlisle Bay Resort in Antigua is named after him.
1629
Pierre Belain d'Esnambuc and his crew attempt to colonise Antigua.
  • Leave due to lack of water.
1632
Antigua successfully settled by Sir Thomas Warner, under instructions of the Earl of Carlisle.
1640
Kalinago(Caribs) pillage British settlements. Members of the Governor's family may have been killed.
1654
Major Kalinago attack, Kalinago defeated.
1666
French attack Antigua, occupy it until the Treaty of Breda.
1667
France formally ends its claim to Antigua in accordance with the Treaty of Breda.
1685
Codrington leases the island of Barbuda from the British crown; African slaves imported to grow first tobacco and then sugarcane on plantations.
1706
Daniel Parke is appointed governor of Antigua.
1710
Daniel Parke is murdered. He was accused of “debauching many of the wives and daughters” of local Antigua planters. As a result, a rebellion occurred in Antigua on December 7, 1710, during which Parke was stripped naked, dragged from the governor’s house, and murdered.
1736
Kingdom of Antigua plot failed.
  • Prince Klass plotted to free the slaves and setup a black kingdom of Antigua.
  • 88 slaves, including Klaas were executted for their part in the plot.
1772
St. John's and English Harbour are severely damaged by hurricanes.
1793
Black Antiguans allowed to serve in the Antiguan militia's artillery.
1800
Census conducted. Antigua has a population of 37,000.
1834
Slave trade abolished on the 1st March.
  • The British abolished slavery in Antigua in 1834. This was part of the Slavery Abolition Act, which was passed in 1833 and took effect in 1834.
  • The Slavery Abolition Act was a move to end slavery in British colonies, which were believed to be outdated and hinder modernization.
  • The freed slaves in Antigua were economically dependent on the plantation owners.
  • They had no right to negotiate wages or working conditions, had little access to land or credit, and few other employment opportunities. The freed slaves were often forced to live in plantation housing, which was considered an agreement to work on the plantation.
  • The British government compensated former slave owners for their “loss of property”.
1871
Antigua and Barbuda administered together as part of the Leeward Islands federation.
1951
First democratic election held in Antigua on 20th December 1951.
1958
Colony of Antigua joins the West Indies Federation, becomes the Territory of Antigua on 3rd. January 1958.
1960
Antigua becomes self-governing on January 1st 1960.
1961
Antigua gains independence on 1st November 1961, renamed to Antigua and Barbuda.
1965
General election held on 29th. November 1965.