OUR STORY
Slavery and the Codringtons in Antigua/Barbuda
Slavery and the Codringtons in Antigua/Barbuda
The First People
After countless ages of ocean waves pounding on Antigua's coasts, and relentless winds eroding rocks to form soils for vegetations, mankind finally arrived. Where they came from is not certain, but it is thought that they arrived from South America by primitive canoe. The islands were much larger so the distances between them were shorter.
The earliest known date of people having lived on Antigua is 1775 BC, a date obtained at Jolly Beach by carbon dating.
The first people were of the "stone age"and have recently been given the popular name of "Siboney". They collected marine resources mainly around North Sound (Parham) where there are many reefs, small islands and mangroves. These are ideal collecting areas for the necessities of life. They were nomadic food gatherers, having no agriculture nor permanent settlement.
About the time of Christ, a pottery making agricultural society arrived in canoe paddling up the islands from South America. Their main staples were cassava and seafood. They introduced many new plants from South America into Antigua. Some of these are the pineapple peanut, papaya, cotton and tobacco. Their main settlement were known to have been at Indian Creek, Mamora Bay, Mill Reef, Coconut Hall and Blackmaries Point. Forty other settlement sites are known from other parts of Antigua. In these areas, the 'Arawaks' as they were called, found an abundant supply of natural resources on which to exist. The first agricultural Amerindian made potteries decorated with white paint.
Designs found on pottery at Indian Creek, dated 300 AD. Indeed, many of the Arawak artifacts found in Antigua, are prototypes of the artistically advance forms found in Puerto Rico and Hispaniola. Later, another group of warlike Amerindians called the 'Caribs" began to enter the islands. The two tribes began to mix and group we referred to then as the 'island caribs' imerged. These are the people that the first Europeans met living in the lesser Antilles.
These island Caribs called Antigua "Waladli". This information was discovered in a French-Carib dictionary written by a missionary who lived in Guadeloupe and Dominica for many years before 1628. In this volume, published in 1660, we learned much about the way of lifeof these people.
Apparently, the Caribs did not live in Antigua but they came occasionally to collect food and often natural necessities of life unavailable in St. Vincent, Dominica, Guadeloupe and St. Kitts. They continued to raid Antigua and other Leeward Islands well into the 18th Century, much to the European settlers who came after.
The Arrival of the Europeans - 1493
Christopher Columbus was the next known traveler to the Caribbean islands. He arrived on 12th October, 1492 but it was not until his second voyage in 1493 that he sighted the Eastern Caribbean islands. Sighting Marie Galante after several weeks to seas, Columbus sailed north passing close to Guadeloupe and Monsterrat. From near Redonda on 11th November, 1493, he sighted an island on the horizon and named it Santa Maria La Antigua after a shone representing a famous miracle-working virgin in Saville Cathedral in Spain, where he is said to have prayed prior to his voyage. Columbus did not set food on Antigua, but made haste northward to Hispaniola, where he believe gold and spices were to be found. Wadadli renamed Antigua during Columbus second voyage on 11th November, 1493.
Exploration and early settlement (1520 - 1632)
Antigua remained untouched by European explorers until 1520, when a small part of Spaniards under Captain Don Antonio Serrano landed on Antigua with the intention of settling the island. After driving off the Caribs they met, the Spaniards attempted to establish but gave up shortly because of the lack of enough water. Nothing significantly took place in Antigua until 1625 when Antigua, St Kitts, Nevis and Barbuda were taken under the protection of England. Two years later, Antigua was claimed by the Earl of Castle but he actually settled in Barbados instead. Gradually, an awareness of these islands agricultural possibilities grew. This started a great Imperial rivalry between the English, Dutch and the French for the possession of these newly discovered islands.
In 1629, one part of Antigua was settled for a very short time by the French privateer Captain d'Escamoric, and in Carlisle Bay Valley, a friend of the Earl of Carlisle, a Mr. William, settled Claremount.
In 1632, the establishment of an English Colony began, when Sir Thomas Warner the Governor of St Kitts, send his 22 year old son, Edward Warner to colonize Antigua. Finding Mr. Williams at Carlisle Bay, Warner proceeded up the coast and established a settlement at Falmouth.
They grew selected species of tobacco, cotton and indigo, which were not labor intensive. The hard work was done by indentured servants, poor English people who signed on to work in the colonies for 3 years or more.
About 1640 due to the over production of tobacco, sugar cane was introduced into the Leeward Islands from Brazil (by ay of Barbados). More labour was demanded because of milling operations and the labourous task involved in the production of sugar, molasses and run, hence the introduction of slaves by European traders from West Africa. The sale of Africans for life was authorized by the English Parliament in 1636. By 1646, there were about 750 people living in Antigua, by 1666, the population grew to about 1200. At this time, sugar was still second to tobacco for a pound of tobacco was worth three pounds of sugar. In the Leeward Islands, sugar began to become King in about 1655.
In 1663 Lord Willoughby obtained a grant to settle Antigua and founded Parham which he named after his town in England. In April (1668) an act was passed proposing that a town be built at St. John's Harbur, but in 1676 it appears that Falmouth was still the main settlement, as the only church in Antigua was there. It was also used as a court House.
The French Attack - Treaty of Breda - 1666
Antigua was ruined by the French attack. Fro the next 150 years, as sugar became more important.