The History of Barbados

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Barbados' History - Archaeological

However excavation work conducted on the northwest coast of the island now shows Barbados was actually a permanent settlement from as early as 1630 BC, pre-dating the Amerindians by up to 2 000 years. A major discovery was several stacks of 'pots' with the bottoms broken out, which turned out to be a very primitive form of water well. This find is now considered the largest collection of 'stacks' ever found in the West Indies and Central America. Top archaeologists from such institutions as London University are now studying this and other sites.

Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos discovered Barbados in 1536 en route to Brazil. It was Campos who named the island "Los Barbados" ('the bearded ones'), presumably after the island's fig trees, whose long, hanging aerial roots have a beard-like resemblance.

On May 14th 1625 Captain John Powell landed on Barbados and claimed the uninhabited island for England. Two years later, on February 17th 1627, his brother Captain Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves. The group established the island's first European settlement, Jamestown, on the western coast at what is now Holetown. They were welcomed only by a herd of Portuguese Hogs thought to be left there by Campos whose intention was to use them as a food source on return voyages.

The settlers in order to survive needed a cash crop, which at that time was tobacco followed by cotton. This proved not to be profitable and so sugar cane was selected as an alternative. Sugar production, because of its financial outlay was not viable for the small farmer and soon he was forced out giving way to the large plantation owners.

This switch to sugar cane is probably the single most important event in the history of Barbados, for it brought with it many significant changes. It saw the consolidation of land holdings into large estates bringing the end of small farmers. Barbados became a veritable gold mine for the British as the island's sugar industry grew and prospered. The 'landed gentry' came in their numbers from England, all eager to make their fortunes off sugar. Lifestyle was lavish and extravagant, and the residue of this is evident in the many 'great houses' peppered across the island, several of which are open for public viewing by the Barbados National Trust. It also saw the end of the indentured European labourers, bringing the drastic reduction of the white population and the large scale importation of slaves from Africa who provided plantation labour.

Emancipation

It is not surprising the next events of historical significance involved mass labour, poor working conditions and the advent of labour unions. Clement Payne, one of the country's National Heroes, who is best remembered for his struggle to help the poor working population of Barbados, was deported and this triggered 4 days of violence later known as the infamous 1937 riots. This kicked off a period of democratic growth and within a year the first labour union was launched.

In 1954 the leader of the trade union movement Sir Grantley Adams, became the islands first Premier and in 1961, the man known to Barbadians as the 'Father of Independence', Errol Barrow was elected to lead the country and ultimately pave the way to the island's Independence in 1966. Unlike the majority of other territories Barbados remained in the hands of the British until the island's Independence on November 30th 1966.

Barbados has enjoyed more than 350 years of unbroken parliamentary rule and is a democratic society, with a Prime Minister as head of the country. The House of Assembly began meeting in 1639 and is the third oldest legislative body in the Western hemisphere.

Although tourism dates back to the 1700s when such visitors as George Washington came to the island for its healthful environment, it was not until the 1950s it became truly popular as a long-stay destination for the wealthy, whose lavish lifestyle is still visible primarily along the west coast.

By the 1970s Barbados was gaining wider popularity and by the early 1990s visitors not only came in their numbers during the traditional 'high' or winter season, but also during the summer period, July through August, for the island's biggest national festival Crop Over.
Today, over a million visitors come to Barbados each year, half of which are cruise ship visitors.
Presently Barbados' population is approx. 280,946 (2007) with the predominant race being black.