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        Sapelo Island, Georgia & Barbados West Indies, How Are They Related?​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

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​​History of Barbados, West Indies

Barbados is the eastern-most Caribbean island. It is located at 13.4N, 54.4W. The island, which is less that one million years old,  was created by the collision of the Atlantic crustal and Caribbean plates, along with a volcanic eruption. Later coral formed, accumulating to approximately 300 feet. It is geologically unique, being actually two land masses that merged together over the years.

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​The history of the early settlement of Barbados is being rewritten as a result of recent archaeological discoveries unearthed at the site of Port St. Charles. Artifacts and evidence point to settlement some time around 1623 B.C.

The first indigenous people were Amerindians who arrived on Barbados from Venezuela. Paddling long dugout canoes they crossed oceans and currents that challenge modern sailing vessels. On the north end of Venezuela a narrow sea channel called the Dragon's mouth acts as a funnel to the Caribbean sea and the nearest Island of Trinidad.  It is a formidable passage of swift flowing water and cross currents. It is dangerous water for an open dugout canoe. But they journeyed, families and villages, adventurers, descendants of the the first people who traveled across the Alaska land bridge, down through Canada and the Americas to the South.

They made their new home in Barbados along the coast, leaving behind hardly a trace, only a hint of evidence for the archeologist to date. Fragments of tools made of shell, utensils, refuse and burial places convey but a mystery of their time.

 

The Arawak's were short, olive-skinned people. ​The Ca�ques (chiefs) and influential members of the tribe wore nose plugs and/or rings made of copper and gold alloys (History of Barbados). They were an agricultural people and grew cotton, cassava, corn, peanuts, guavas, and papaws (papaya). The cotton was woven and used for armbands and hammocks. Cassava was ground and grated to be made into casareep, a seasoning used in cooking. The Arawak's also used harpoons, nets, and hooks, to fish for food (History of Barbados).​ In 1200, the Arawak's were conquered by the Caribs. The Caribs were a taller and stronger Amerindian tribe than the Arawak's. They were incredibly accurate bowmen and used a powerful poison to paralyze their prey. (History of Barbados). The culture has almost vanished from Barbados.​ 

 

The Portugese came to Barbados en route to Brazil. It was at this time that the island was named Los Barbados (bearded-ones) by the Portugese explorer Pedro a Campos. It was so named, presumably, after the island's fig trees, which have a beard-like appearance. 

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​ Despite the Caribs' ruthless warlike abilities, the island was taken over by the Spanish in 1492. The Spanish imposed slavery on the Caribs. Slavery and the contagious European small pox and tuberculosis ended the Caribs' existence (History of Barbados). Spain, however, passed Barbados over in favour of the larger Caribbean islands (History of European Overseas Exploration and Empires). This left the island open for anyone who wanted to colonize it.

 

The first English ship touched the island on May 14th 1625 under the command of Captain John Powell. The island was therefore claimed on behalf of King James I.

On February 17th 1627, Captain Henry Powell landed with a party of 80 settlers and 10 slaves to occupy and settle the island. This expedition landed in Holetown formerly known as Jamestown. The colonists established a House of Assembly in 1639. It was the 3rd ever Parliamentary Democracy in the world (Barbados History).

People with good financial backgrounds and social connections with England were allocated land. Within a few years much of the land had been deforested to make way for tobacco and cotton plantations.

During the 1630s, sugar cane was introduced to the agriculture. The production of sugar, tobacco and cotton was heavily reliant on the indenture of servants. White civilians who wanted to emigrate overseas could do so by signing an agreement to serve a planter in Barbados for a period of 5 or 7 years. To meet the labour demands, servants were also derived from kidnapping, and convicted criminals were shipped to Barbados. Descendants of the white slaves and indentured labour (referred to as Red Legs) still live in Barbados, they live amongst the black population in St. Martin's River and other east coast regions. At one time they lived in caves in this region.

Slavery, abolished in 1834, was followed by a 4-year apprenticeship period during which free men continued to work a 45-hour week without pay in exchange for living in the tiny huts provided by the plantation owners.  Freedom from slavery was celebrated in 1838 at the end of the apprenticeship period with over 70,000 Barbadians of African descent taking to the streets with the Barbados folk song:

"Lick an Lock-up Done Wid, Hurray fuh Jin-Jin (Queen Victoria).
De Queen come from England to set we free
Now Lick an Lock-up Done Wid, Hurray fuh Jin-Jin "


Barbados was first occupied by the British in 1627 and remained a British colony until internal autonomy was granted  in 1961. The Island gained full independence in 1966, and maintains ties to the Britain monarch represented in Barbados by the Governor General. It is a member of the Commonwealth.  The first leader of Barbados as a free nation was the Right Honourable Errol Walton Barrow, of the Democratic Labour Party. The other major political party is the Barbados Labour Party, led by the current Prime Minister - The Right Honourable Owen Arthur. In 1989, the National Democratic Party was formed. Its leader was Dr.Richie Haynes.

             

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History has it that​ Barbados was part of the original Virginia Charters.     Also, in 1670 the Province, at that time, of South Carolina was founded with surplus persons leaving Barbados.​ Some of the displaced farmers relocated to British colonies in North America, most notably South Carolina. To work the plantations, black Africans - primarily from West Africa - were imported as slaves in such numbers that there were three for every one planter.

 

Our mission and objective with this documentary is to show a correlation between the fourth largest barrier Island of Georgia, Sapelo; and the greater developed Island Nation of Barbados West  Indies.

 

 

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