The Sugar Barons (62 page)

1509

Spanish settle Jamaica (Spanish Town established 1523)

1600

Dutch land on St Eustatius

1605

First English attempt to settle in Caribbean at St Lucia, fails because of hostility of Caribs

1607

Lasting English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia, established

1618–48

Thirty Years War: England, France and Holland v. Spain

1620

Establishment of Plymouth Colony

1623–4

English settle St Kitts; Dutch attack Bahia in Brazil

1627

English settlers, including James Drax, arrive on Barbados

1628

English and Irish settlers from St Kitts colonise Nevis

1629

English settlement founded on Providence Island

1630–40

Dutch seize Curaçao, Saba, St Martin

1632

English and Irish from St Kitts and Nevis colonise Antigua and Montserrat

1635–45

Dutch control northern Brazil

c
. 1635

French settle Martinique and Guadeloupe

1639

Attempted English settlement in Trinidad destroyed by Caribs

1641

Spanish drive English settlers off Providence Island

1642–6

English Civil War

1647

Richard Ligon and Thomas Modyford arrive in Barbados

1650

Willoughby establishes English colony in Surinam

1651

Parliamentary force captures Barbados; First Navigation Act directed against the Dutch

1652

Hurricanes

1652–4

First Dutch War

1654

Dutch and Jews expelled from Brazil

1655

English take Jamaica from Spain

1657

James Drax knighted by Cromwell

1659

Major fire in Bridgetown, destroys more than 200 houses

1660

Restoration of Charles II

1663

Modyford to Jamaica; Barbados grants 4½ per cent duty to the King

1665–7

Second Dutch War

1665

April: Dutch admiral de Ruyter attacks Barbados

1666

French declare war on England, capture St Kitts, plunder Antigua

1667

Hurricane in Barbados; French capture Montserrat; Treaty of Breda grants Surinam to Dutch in return for New York; French conquests returned

1668

Another major fire in Bridgetown; 800+ houses destroyed

1670

Hurricane in Jamaica; Treaty of Madrid: Spain recognises English possession of Jamaica

1671

Quaker George Fox visits Barbados

1672–4

Third Dutch War

1673

Hurricane, fire and slave rebellion in Barbados

1675

Henry Morgan knighted

1685

Monmouth Rebellion in England against James II. Defeated rebels shipped to the West Indies

1688

‘Glorious Revolution’ in England

1688–97

Nine Years War (also known as King William’s War, War of the Grand Alliance, First French and Indian War): England and Spain v. France, ends with Treaty of Ryswick: Spain cedes western region of Hispaniola to France

1689

August: English on St Kitts surrender to French

1690

July: English under Christoper Codrington recapture St Kitts

1691

April: Christoper Codrington leads unsuccessful English invasion of Guadeloupe

1692

June: Port Royal earthquake

1693

April: Christoper Codrington leads unsuccessful English invasion of Martinique

1694

French invasion of Jamaica

1702–13

War of Spanish Succession (Queen Anne’s War). England and Holland v. France and Spain.

1702

July: French in St Kitts capitulate to forces of Christopher Codrington the Younger

1703

May: attempt on Guadeloupe led by Christopher Codrington the Younger abandoned

1706

February and March: French ravage St Kitts and Nevis

1710

December: murder of Governor Daniel Parke in Antigua

1712

July: French lay waste to Montserrat

1713

Treaty of Utrecht. Britain gains French sector of St Kitts, and wins
asiento

1722

August: hurricane in Jamaica

1730s

Maroon wars in Jamaica

1733

Molasses Act

1736

Slave revolt plot in Antigua

1739

War of Jenkins’s Ear, Britain v. Spain; becomes war of Austrian Succession until

1748;

also known as King George’s War

1751

George Washington visits Barbados

1756–63

Seven Years War or French and Indian War

1759

May: British occupy Guadeloupe

1760

Tacky’s Revolt in Jamaica

1761

June: British North American colonials capture Dominica

1762

British capture Martinique, Grenada and Havana, Cuba

1763

Peace of Paris; British gain Grenada, Tobago and Dominica

1764

Sugar Act

1770s

Revolts in Tobago

1772–3

Carib Wars

1776–83

American Revolutionary War

1776

St Eustatius gives first official salute to American colours

1778

French control St Vincent and the Grenadines

1779

French regain control of Grenada

1781

Rodney sacks St Eustatius

1782

April: Battle of the Saintes off Dominica; Rodney defeats de Grasse; Jamaica saved

1791

Slave uprising in Haiti

1792–1803

French Revolutionary Wars

1794

British capture Port-au-Prince, Haiti

1794–1802

British occupy Martinique

1795

Second Maroon War in Jamaica

1796

Fedon slave revolt in Grenada

1797

Abercromby expedition captures Trinidad, ceded by Spain 1802

1808

Slave trade abolished in British Empire

1816

Bussa’s slave revolt in Barbados

1831

Baptists’ Revolt in Jamaica

1831

Huge hurricane on Barbados

1833

Slave Emancipation Act

1838

Apprenticeships end; true emancipation

1922

Sugar prices collapse