The history of Antigua and Barbuda can be traced back to the era before Christ when the first life made settlement there. But Antigua and Barbuda history was put to the words since the arrival of Sir Christopher Codrington in the late 17th century. This scenic island though was habited for centuries gained international recognition only after this. The history of Antigua and Barbuda can be divided into three distinct epochs the pre-Columbian era, European era and independent era.
The archeological excavations and research has shown evidence of the presence of the ‘Arawak’ people in the region. The Arwaks were agricultural people who were dislocated by the Caribs who were a destructive clan creating havoc all over the Caribbean. The Caribs were responsible for the comparatively late European penetration into this island. Though Christopher Columbus came to the island his name does not hold much significance in the history of Antigua and Barbuda. After century of Columbus’s visit Antigua and Barbuda became a major European settlement finally evolving as a hub of sugar plantation.
The history of Antigua and Barbuda entered a dark phase of slavery after the seventeenth century. Hand in hand with the lucrative sugar plantations the curse of slavery also entered the island. The British Royal Navy made this island country its base in the eighteenth century and the name of the famous British naval general Horatio Nelson is associated with Antigua and Barbuda history. In 1834, Antigua and Barbuda was exempted from the black days of slavery by the British. The annual carnival in the island is held in celebration of this event.
The history of Antigua and Barbuda saw a significant turn in the 20th century when the struggle for independence began to take shape. The revolt began from 1940s with V. C. Bird as the leader and ultimately in 1981 Antigua and Barbuda was an independent state.
