Early settlers

Archaeological evidence suggests human habitation on the island goes at least as far back as 2200 BCE. Settlers came over from South America in three distinct waves: Amerindians, Arawaks and then Caribs. These early inhabitants were probably driven from the island eventually, either captured in slave-raids by Spanish colonisers, or escaping to more mountainous Caribbean islands, which were easier to defend. Information on these early settlers can be found in the Barbados Museum.

The English arrive

The English were the first European colonisers to establish lasting settlements – initially at Holetown (then Jamestown) on the West Coast, in 1627, with the ports of Bridgetown (1628) and Speightstown (1630) not long behind. Tobacco was the main cash crop in those early years. By 1650 there were 44,000 settlers, mostly indentured labourers, from Ireland, Scotland and Wales, including convicts and prisoners of (England’s Civil) war.

Sugar Cane & Enslavement