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Antigua and Barbuda is a dry but tropical country comprising 3 islands in the Eastern Caribbean. The largest, Antigua, has secluded bays and sandy beaches, coral reefs and volcanic rocks rising to about 400 metres at Mount Obama. Barbuda is a flat coral island with a large lagoon, while tiny Redonda is rocky and uninhabited.
Who were the first people in Antigua and Barbuda in living history?
(2900 BC – 1232)
The earliest settlements date back to 2900 BC.
These first known inhabitants of Antigua and Barbuda were called the Siboney or “stone people”.
Later, the stone people were succeeded by the Arawak people 1232, who resided on the islands for hundreds of years.
These people survived by planting peas, maize, corn, and other vegetables.
When did Africans arrive in Antigua and Barbuda?
(1632 – 1834)
The first wave of European colonisation neglected the two islands but they were eventually occupied by England in 1632. Under British rule, the islands experienced an influx of both African slaves and Britons. Africans started arriving in Antigua and Barbuda in even larger numbers during the 1670s; they soon became the largest racial group of Antigua and Barbuda. With all others in the British Empire,
Antiguan and Barbudan slaves were emancipated in 1834, but remained economically dependent upon the plantation owners.
After Slavery – New Era
(1834 – 1939)
Life was very difficult for the people after slavery. The freed men did not have farms and had no access to money. These conditions went on until 1939 when a trade union was begun to help the working classes.
Surprising History
The Arawak people made exceptional seagoing vessels which they used to sail across the Caribbean and the Atlantic Oceans. As a result, the Arawaks and the Caribs were able to rule over most of the Caribbean Islands and South America. Some of their decedents still live in Colombia, Venezuela and Brazil.
Coming next...What has happened to the islands since 1939?
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