BARBADOS CULTURE

IN THE EARLY 80'S MY HUSBAND AND I WERE GIVEN A FREE TRIP TO BARBADOS. IT WAS QUITE INTERESTING AS WE STAYED AT A LARGE RESORT AND LATERAT A SMALL HOTEL TO DO SOME MORE EXPLORING, BEFORE WE WERE PARENTS. IT SURE IS HOT THERE! AND THE OCEAN AND SEAFOOD IS GREAT.

TODAY BARBADOS IS A COSMOPOLITAN COUNTRY WITH A STRONG CHARACTER. THE PEOPLE ARE WARM AND FRIENDLY. THEIR HISTORY IS RECENTLY BEEN REVIEWED. THE ISLANDS IS I MILLION YEARS OLD, AND IT WAS CREATED BY VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS. RECENTLY ARCHAEOLOGISTS HAVE DISCOVERED OR UNEARTHED THE PORT SAINT CHARLES AND FOUND THE DATE TO 1623 B.C.

THE FIRST PEOPLE ARRIVED HERE FROM VENEZUELA. THEY PADDLED DUGOUT CANOES ON A SEA CHANNEL NEAR TRINIDAD. IT IS A FORMIDABLE PASSAGE AND DANGEROUS WATER. THEY WERE FROM FAMILIES AND VILLAGES WHO TRAVELLED THE LAND BRIDGE TO THE CARRIBEAN. THEY LEFT LITTLE BEHIND - TOOLS OF SHELL, BURIED PLACES. THEY WERE THE ARAWAKS WITH BLACK AND WHITE BODY PAINTING. THEIR CHIEF'S HEADMEMBERS. THEY WERE AGRICULTURALISTS AND GREW COTTON CASSAVA, CORN, PEANUTS , QUAVA AND PAPAYA. COTTON WAS USED FOR THEIR ARM BANDS. CASSAVA WAS A SEASONING. THEY MADE HARPOONS, MATS AND HOOKS TO FISH.

IN 1200 A.D. THE ARAWAKS WERE CONQUERED BY CARIBS. THE CARIBS WERE A MORE STABLE AND STRONGER TRIBE THAN THE ARAWAK. THEY USED A POISON FOR HUNTING. THEY HAVE ALMOST VANISHED NOW. THE PORTUGUESE ALMOST CAME TO BARBADOS AND NAMED IT "THE BEARDED ONES" REFERRING TO FIG TREES. IN 1492 SPAIN TOOK OVER THE ISLAND AND HAD CARIB SLAVES. THEY GOT SMALLPOX AND HAD CARIB SLAVES. THEY GOT SMALLPOX AND TB. SPAIN PASSED OVER BARBADOS TO PASS TO GO TO LARGER ISLANDS.

BY 1625 ENGLISH CAPTAIN JOHN POWELL CLAIMED THE ISLAND FOR KING JAMES. IN 1627 HENRY POWELL BROUGHT 80 SETTLERS AND 10 SLAVES TO SETTLE HERE AT JAMESTOWN. THEY ESTABLISHED A HOUSE OF ASSEMBLY IN 1639. PEOPLE WITH SOCIAL CONNECTIONS WITH ENGLAND WERE ALLOCATED LAND. DURING THE 1630'S SUGAR CANE WAS INTRODUCED AND TOBACCO AND COTTON WAS HEAVILY RELIANT ON THE INDENTURED SERVANTS. ANGLOS COULD GO OVERSEAS BY SIGNING AN AGREEMENTS TO SERVE A PLANTER TO SERVE A PLANTATION IN BARBADOS FOR 5 YEARS. DESCENDANTS OF WHITE SLAVES AND INDENTURED LABOR STILL LIVE IN BARBADOS.

THE DUTCH BARBADOS PROVIDED BARBADOS A POTENTIAL MARKET FOR SLAVES AND SUGAR AND SUGAR MACHINES. MANY DISASTERS CAME IN THE 1600'S. THEY HAD LOCUST PLAGUE OF 1663 AND A HURRICANE AND A DROUGHT AND EXCESSIVE RAIN. AN INVESTMENT IN SUGAR AND SLAVES WAS CONSIDERED GOOD.
BY 1834 SLAVERY WAS FINALLY ABOLISHED. NEW FOLKS LOOK ADVANCED OF THE EDUCATION ON THE ISLAND. THEY WANTED MORE THAN WORK IN THE CANE FIELDS.

MANY FOLKS WERE DRAWN TO BARBADOS BECAUSE OF CLIMATE AND SLOW PACE. GEORGE WASHINGTON EVEN CAME HERE. THE MEN WHO WORKED AT THE PLANTATIONS WORKED 45 HOUR WEEKS WITHOUT PAY AND LIVED FREE HERE. IN 1838 FREEDOM FROM SLAVERY WAS CELEBRATED BY 70,000BARBADOS OF AFRICAN DESCENT.

IN 1966 THE ISLAND GAINED FULL INDEPENDENCE AND HAS MAINTAINED TIES TO BRITISH MONARCH.


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