These Fields & Hills
Barbados, an island rich in history.
14th century
A Brief History
Barbados was inhabited by its indigenous peoples—Arawaks and Caribs—prior to the European colonization of the Americas in the 16th century. Barbados was briefly claimed by the Portuguese from 1532 to 1620. The island was English and later a British colony from 1625 until 1966.
Who We Are
Where We Come From
Barbados Today
16th century
Slavery & Remembrance
Barbados was the birthplace of British slave society and the most ruthlessly colonized by Britain’s ruling elites. They made their fortunes from sugar produced by an enslaved, “disposable” workforce, and this great wealth secured Britain’s place as an imperial superpower and cause untold suffering.
The Sugar Revolution
The First Black Slave Society
Tracing Ancestry & Genealogy
Barbados since Independence
Independence was granted on November 30th 1966 with the passing of the Barbados Independence Act 1966 (c. 37) by the Parliament of the United Kingdom. With the passing of the Act, Barbados became the fourth English-speaking country in the West Indies to gain full independence from the United Kingdom.
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