History of Antigua & Barbuda
The island nation of Antigua and Barbuda straddles the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean and is part of the Lesser Antilles range of islands with a population of approximately 87 000 persons. The capital of Antigua is St. John's. The island's official language is English; however the most local population speaks a dialect referred to as Antiguan Creole.
Originally, the islands were first inhabited by the Siboney people (or "Stone People") whose settlements date at least to 2400 BC. The Siboney were succeeded by the Arawak, who originated in Venezuela and gradually migrated up the chain of islands now called the Lesser Antilles. Archaeological evidence points to the occupation of the islands by the Arawak people as early as 2900 BC. Due to the amounts of eucalyptus and the oil it produced, the Arawak called it the "Island of Oil."
Sometime around 1100 AD, the Arawak tribes were overtaken by the dominant tribes of the Caribbean of the time; the Caribs. The warlike Carib people drove the Arawak from neighboring islands but apparently did not settle on either Antigua or Barbuda. Historical records are somewhat confused as early European settlers had difficulty discerning he two tribes apart and did not keep accurate accounts.
The first recorded settlement occurred on Christopher Columbus's second journey through the Caribbean islands in 1493 when he landed and claimed the islands for Spain. Columbus named the larger island "Santa Maria de la Antigua." Sir Christopher Codrington was a wealthy land owner that leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. Barbuda's only town is named after him.
Because the tribes of the islands did not have any immunity to the diseases carried by the Spaniards, the introduction of disease and the torture and enslavement of entire population of indigenous peoples were almost completely annihilated.
After the British invaded the islands in 1632, the French took control in 1666. Only a few years later, the islands returned to British control yet again in 1707 after the Act of Union. Slavery was abolished on the islands in 1834, which was considerable earlier than many other countries in the Caribbean which eventually led to increasingly more and more freedoms and liberties such as the ability to own land and the right to own and govern their own land.
The island nation was a historic move towards independence in 1981. The Antigua and Barbuda nation is a constitutional monarchy and regards Queen Elizabeth II as their titular head of state. She acts in a ceremonial role only as an appointed representative within the islands. In recent history, the islands have established a system of democracy with an elected government and prime minister.
Originally, the islands were first inhabited by the Siboney people (or "Stone People") whose settlements date at least to 2400 BC. The Siboney were succeeded by the Arawak, who originated in Venezuela and gradually migrated up the chain of islands now called the Lesser Antilles. Archaeological evidence points to the occupation of the islands by the Arawak people as early as 2900 BC. Due to the amounts of eucalyptus and the oil it produced, the Arawak called it the "Island of Oil."
Sometime around 1100 AD, the Arawak tribes were overtaken by the dominant tribes of the Caribbean of the time; the Caribs. The warlike Carib people drove the Arawak from neighboring islands but apparently did not settle on either Antigua or Barbuda. Historical records are somewhat confused as early European settlers had difficulty discerning he two tribes apart and did not keep accurate accounts.
The first recorded settlement occurred on Christopher Columbus's second journey through the Caribbean islands in 1493 when he landed and claimed the islands for Spain. Columbus named the larger island "Santa Maria de la Antigua." Sir Christopher Codrington was a wealthy land owner that leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. Barbuda's only town is named after him.
Because the tribes of the islands did not have any immunity to the diseases carried by the Spaniards, the introduction of disease and the torture and enslavement of entire population of indigenous peoples were almost completely annihilated.
After the British invaded the islands in 1632, the French took control in 1666. Only a few years later, the islands returned to British control yet again in 1707 after the Act of Union. Slavery was abolished on the islands in 1834, which was considerable earlier than many other countries in the Caribbean which eventually led to increasingly more and more freedoms and liberties such as the ability to own land and the right to own and govern their own land.
The island nation was a historic move towards independence in 1981. The Antigua and Barbuda nation is a constitutional monarchy and regards Queen Elizabeth II as their titular head of state. She acts in a ceremonial role only as an appointed representative within the islands. In recent history, the islands have established a system of democracy with an elected government and prime minister.
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