Timeline of Barbadian history
This is a timeline of Barbadian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Barbados and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Barbados and History of the Caribbean. See also the list of Governors and Prime Ministers of Barbados.
16th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1511 | 23 December | Barbados first appears on Spanish maps and is referred to by King Ferdinand of Spain as Los Barbudos (Barbados), along with Cobaco (Tobago), and Mayo (unknown). |
| 1512 | 3 July | King Ferdinand mentions that on the islands of Los Barbudos, Dominica, Martino (Martinique), Santa Lucia, San Vincente, La Asunción (Grenada), and Tavaco (Tobago), certain Indians called Caribs be captured due to their resistance towards Christianity. |
| 1518 | The Spanish crown ordered Judge Rodrigo de Figueroa to determine which areas of the region were populated by Caribs. He reported 'Indians have been taken from Los Barbudos, the Gigantes (Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao) and elsewhere who are not Caribs nor proper to be slaves. Thereafter, the isles deemed to be non-Carib were: Trinidad, the Lucayas (Bahamas), Barbados, Gigantes and Margarita. | |
| c. 1532-1536 | Portuguese explorer Pedro A. Campos discovers Barbados completely uninhabited, the island is claimed for the Portuguese. | |
| 1541 | Spanish commentator Alonza de Santa Cruz speaks of inhabitants of Barbados in the past-tense. |
17th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1620 | English Captain Simon Gordon may have first made a brief landing on Barbados. The Portuguese abandon Barbados. | |
| 1625 | Courteen dispatched Captain John Powell for the purpose of establishing a permanent settlement on the island, but the ship returned to England having not been able to locate the island. (to 1627) | |
| Courteen dispatched a second envoy from England, led by Captain Henry Powell (brother of John Powell), on the ship known as the William and John. | ||
| July | The passing trade ship, "Olive Blossom" owned by English merchant William Courteen (and led by Chief Captain John Powell), landed at St. James Town and erect a cross with the inscription "for James K. of E. and this island", other personal items are left behind prior to departing for England. | |
| 1627 | 17 February | Eighty English settlers, with ten African slaves (captured-at-sea) aboard the ship William and John land at St. James Town. (to 20 February) |
| 25 February | English king Charles I gave Courten by Royal Letters Patent the proprietary ownership and title to various lands in the Southern Americas (which Courten applies towards claim of Barbados). | |
| 2 July | Charles gave James Hay, the 1st Earl of Carlisle by Royal Letters Patent the proprietary ownership to Caribbee islands lying between ten and twenty degrees of latitude. | |
| 1628 | 5 July | Lord Carlisle as represented by Governor Charles Wolferstone (of Bermuda) establishes a settlement and the capital moves from Courteen's settlement at St. James Town to present location of Bridgetown. Under the authority of the Wolverstone the Governor appoints a Council composed of the main landowners to assist him in the governance of the island. |
| 1629 | Forces of Carlisle's employ arrived in Barbados and arrested Courten's governor. | |
| The colony became divided into six original parishes. A vestry framework for local government is devised, and parishes are administered by elected landowners who had the powers to tax and carry out basic municipal functions, such as road maintenance. | ||
| 1639 | The parliament, (the House of Assembly then known as the House of Burgesses), held its first meeting. It was composed of sixteen landowners chosen by the Governor. | |
| 1640 | Sugar cultivation begins on the island. | |
| 1642 | English Civil War: Large influx of both English Parliamentarians, and Royalists to island. (to 1651) | |
| The British Parliament sends a fleet to blockade ports of Barbados, the island surrenders in December and agrees to recognise Charles II as King. (to 1651) | ||
| 1645 | The colony became re subdivided into eleven parishes, each sending two representatives to the House of Assembly. | |
| 1652 | 11 January | The Barbados Charter (Treaty of Oistins) is signed between locals and The Crown, of which articles of agreement confirm the Assembly, and liberty of conscience. |
| The House and the Legislative Council (executive arm of government) began to hold separate sessions. | ||
| 1668 | 18 April | The Bridgetown Magazine explodes, 80 Percent of Bridgetown (800 homes), are razed in a great fire. |
| 1671 | 3 October | Quaker leader George Fox visits island. |
| 1675 | May | First slave rebellion. |
| 1660 | Charles II knights eleven gentlemen of Barbados. White indentured labourers (small-holders) are largely replaced by black slaves from West Africa (many from today's Ghana). (to 1680) | |
| 1680 | White labourers mostly leave, to Carolinas, (Charleston, South Carolina); and to other West Indian islands, especially Jamaica. | |
| 1682 | The sugar-producing planter class becomes dominant. They inter-marry with British aristocracy, and buy seats in the Parliament. |
18th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1733 | Harrison College (formerly Harrison's Free School), is established by Bridgetown-merchant Thomas Harrison. | |
| 1745 | The Codrington College (grammar school), named after the late Christopher Codrington is established by the Anglican Church. | |
| 1750 | The Grapefruit (Citrus Paradisi), then known as the "Forbidden Fruit Tree" is (for the first time), recorded through illustration in The Natural History of Barbados by Welshman, The Reverend Griffith Hughes. | |
| 1751 | November | George Washington visits, making his only journey outside the American mainland. (to December) |
| 1795 | British government establishes a permanent land force in the eastern Caribbean, based in Barbados. |
19th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1816 | 14–16 April | Bussa's Rebellion, the largest slave revolt in Barbadian history. |
| 1831 | Free coloured men who meet the property requirements, are given the right to vote for members of Parliament. | |
| 1833 | The Slavery Abolition Act 1833 is passed, ending the practice of slavery throughout the British Empire. | |
| 1834 | Slavery itself is abolished, and the descendants of enslaved and liberated Africans, which form the bulk of Barbados population begin a process of making inroads in society. Samuel Jackman Prescod becomes the first person of (partial) African descent to be elected to Parliament. | |
| 1835 | The Police Force is established. | |
| 1861 | 29 March | The introduction of piped water in Bridgetown. |
| 1867 | The Harbour Police Force is established. | |
| 1875 | Uprisings (now known as the "Confederation riots") occurred due to efforts by the Imperial Crown to establish a Crown Colony government consisting of Barbados and the Windward Islands. (to 1876) | |
| 1881 | The Executive Council is created separate of the Upper House by an Act of local Parliament. | |
| 1882 | The Harbour Police Force is merged into the land-based Police Force. | |
| 1885 | Moves to Confederate isle with the Windward Islands is abandoned, the capital of the Windward Islands shifts to St. George, Grenada; and the island restores self-government as before. |
20th century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 1928 | May | The introduction of The St. Michael Girls School. |
| 1934 | Grantley Adams is elected to the House of Assembly. | |
| 1937 | July | Riots occur in Bridgetown. |
| 1938 | March | The formation of the Barbados Progressive League-BPL. (The precursor of the Barbados Labour Party.) |
| 1944 | Women secure the right to vote. | |
| 1946 | Election: The Barbados Labour Party-BLP, led by Grantley Adams becomes majority leader. | |
| 1951 | Election: The first election with universal adult suffrage. | |
| 1954 | Establishment of the "ministerial" system, with a cabinet, and the office of the Premier. Grantley Adams was appointed as the colony's first Premier. | |
| 1955 | The Democratic Labour Party-DLP (led by Errol Barrow), was formed as a breakaway element from the Barbados Labour Party. | |
| 1956 | Election: Won by Barbados Labour Party-BLP, led by Grantley Adams. | |
| 1958 | 3 January | Barbados joined ten other British West Indian territories to form the West Indies Federation, led by Grantley Adams as the Prime Minister. |
| 1960 | 31 May | The West Indies Federation government collapses due to internal conflicts, Barbados reverts to internal self-governance. |
| 1961 | Election: Won by Democratic Labour Party-DLP, led by Errol Barrow who becomes Premier. | |
| Barbados achieves full internal self-government. | ||
| 10 March | The EC$28,000,000 Deep Water Harbour in Bridgetown is completed and officially opened. Construction commenced in 1956. | |
| 1963 | The University of the West Indies opens a local campus at the Deep Water Harbour before moving to Cave Hill. | |
| 1964 | The Legislative Council is replaced by the Senate. | |
| Voting age was reduced to 18. | ||
| 1966 | 30 November | Barbados, (led by Errol Barrow as Prime Minister) received its independence from the United Kingdom |
| 1969 | Barbados Community College (BCC) is established by the government of Barbados. | |
| 1969 | April 1st. | ANGLICAN CHURCH is disestablished by the ANGLICAN CHURCH (DATE OF DISESTABLISHMENT) ORDER, 1969, by the Minister under section 2 of the Anglican Church Act, Cap. 375. |
| 1971 | House of Assembly changes to 24 single member constituencies. | |
| Election: Won by Democratic Labour Party-DLP, led by Errol Barrow | ||
| 1972 | 2 May | The local Central Bank was established by Act of parliament. |
| 1976 | 2 September | Election: Won by Barbados Labour Party-BLP, led by J.M.G.M "Tom" Adams |
| 6 October | Cubana Flight 455 is bombed shortly after taking off from the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport. | |
| 1977 | 2 November | At the end of the Queen's Silver Jubilee, Concorde (G-BOAE) made its maiden voyage to Barbados; with Queen Elizabeth II experiencing her first supersonic flight to the United Kingdom.[1][2] |
| 1979 | 31 March | The United States Naval Facility (NAVFAC) officially closes at Harrison's Point, St. Lucy after being commissioned on 1 October 1957. |
| 1981 | House of Assembly changes to 27 single member constituencies. | |
| 18 June | Election: Won by Barbados Labour Party-BLP led by J.M.G.M "Tom" Adams | |
| 1985 | 11 March | On the death of J.M.G.M. "Tom" Adams, Harold Bernard St. John becomes 3rd Prime Minister. |
| 1986 | 28 May | Election: Won by Democratic Labour Party-DLP, led by Errol Barrow |
| 1989 | 8 March | The Queen marked the occasion of the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the Barbados Parliament. (to 11 March) |
| 1991 | Elections: Won by Democratic Labour Party-DLP, led by Erskine Sandiford | |
| House of Assembly changes to 28 single member constituencies. | ||
| 1994 | Election: Won by Barbados Labour Party-BLP, led by Owen Arthur | |
| 1999 | Election: Won by Barbados Labour Party-BLP, led by Owen Arthur | |
21st century
| Year | Date | Event |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | House of Assembly changes to 30 single member constituencies. | |
| 21 May | Election: Won by Barbados Labour Party-BLP, led by Owen Arthur | |
| 30 August | The British Airways Concorde makes last commercial flight from Barbados to London. | |
| 2005 | 29 March | A riot and fire breaks out at HM Glendairy Prison causing military personnel to be drawn from surrounding islands to put down the uprising. (to 30 March) |
| 2006 | 16 March | The Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) renders its first judgement, covering a libel case from Barbados – Rediffusion Service Ltd v. Asha Mirchandani Ram Mirchandani (McDonald Farms Ltd). The case is a formal end of Barbados' 170+ year long relationship with the London-based Judicial Committee of the Privy Council (JCPC). |
| 2007 | 4 March | The Cricket World Cup is held in the West Indies region. Barbados hosts several of the Warm Up and Super 8 matches along with the Final. (to 28 April) |
| 2008 | 15 January | Election: Won by Democratic Labour Party-DLP, led by David Thompson |
| 2010 | 31 January | UK's Prince Harry and Prince Seeiso of Lesotho hosted the Sentebale Charity Polo Event in Barbados. |
| 30 April | Several nations in the region, host the ICC World Twenty20 event, this included the finals held in Barbados. (to 16 May) | |
| 3 September | The Tudor Street store, Campus Trendz is razed in a brazen robbery. Leading to a national day of mourning on 10 September.[3][4] | |
| 2011 | 25 June | Historic Bridgetown and its Garrison were added as a World Heritage Site of UNESCO. |
| 2011 | September | The introduction of Sixth Form into The St. Michael School and The Christ Church Foundation School. |
| 2013 | February | Election: Won by Democratic Labour Party-DLP, led by Freundel Stuart |
References
- Queen Elizabeth II (January 2010). "Queen and Barbados: Royal visits". Retrieved 16 January 2010.
- Burleigh, Craig (2008). "Queen Elizabeth II Silver Jubilee in Barbados ends with her first flight on Concorde on a record setting flight back to London Heathrow". Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- BBC Caribbean News in Brief: Mourning for fire deaths, 08/09/2010, BBC News
- Marley, David F. (2005). "Barbados". istoric cities of the Americas: an illustrated encyclopedia. Vol 1. ABC-CLIO. pp. 17–30. ISBN 9781576070277. Retrieved 23 October 2013.
- Notable dates, Government of Barbados
- Worldstatesmen.org - Barbados rulers
- Case Study: "The Barbados Experience" - political history, by the Department of Public Sector Reform
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