Barbados

 Denasia Watts

Professor Harris

Caribbean History   

February 9th, 2021

            From being named "Os Barbados" based on its beard-resembling fig trees, Barbados gained its independence in November of 1966. Though being founded and explored by what some may say the British or the Portuguese in the 16th century, Barbados has remained an English-speaking member of the British Commonwealth. Based on the Virtual Caribbean Library, Barbados was given to James Hay of the Earl Carlisle by King James I as a private property but was explored by Captain John Powell in 1625 for the King. Given that many countries and islands were founded by those of the Kings in the British empires, this doesn't come as much of a surprise. 

Barbados is the most densely populated island within the Caribbean or more so, an island apart of the Lesser Antilles. To make a living on the island, the people of Barbados began growing tobacco though that turned out to not be its money-making export which happened to have been sugar. With sugar becoming it's money-making crop, Barbados soon saw the need to import slaves in order to continue its days as an important sugar producer. After West African slaves had begun to outnumber the amount of British, uprisings such as the Bussa Rebellion came about leading to the country's abolishment of slavery in 1838. Since its independence in 1966, the Bajan people have been some of carnivals and festivals like the "Crop Over" which originated from the islands' sugar crop era showing how the island's history still has a prominent roll in the island's society and culture now.

Research Assignment: Barbados, Antigua & Barbuda, & Grenada