Page 29 - Ti Guide 2020 digital FRENCH - ENGLISH

FROM COLUMBUS
TO THE SLAVE TRADE
In 1492 Columbus sighted the island of Watling in the Bahamas, paving the way for Spanish colonisers. He was followed by the English, French and Dutch, who fought for dominion over the islands. Although Columbus never landed on Antigua he named
At the Admiral’s Inn
the island in honour of Santa Maria de la Antigua, the saint he worshipped in Seville. Antigua remained under the rule of the English with only a brief takeover by the French in 1666. Once returned to the crown with the Peace of Breda in 1667, Antigua became an important colonial naval base. An arsenal was built in English Harbour, a natural hurricane hole, and the British eet was stationed at the port. Its most famous commander, Horatio Nelson, is commemorated here at Nelson’s Dockyard. Antigua’s soil was most suitable for intensive farming. When the demand for sugar increased from the 17th century the island became known for the production of sugar cane. As local labour was not suf cient, this period saw the rise of the slave trade. The abolition of slavery in 1834 and the subsequent introduction of the process of sugar beet re ning in Europe led to the decline in sugar cane cultivation.
MODERN TIMES
An important event took place when, in 1914, the USA reached an agreement with Panama for the opening of the famous canal. Since that time America has a strong in uence on the area.
Between the two world wars, a new ethnic group arrived on the island: the Syrians and Lebanese. They came to Antigua as small traders and integrated well into the community. The end of World War II marked the beginning of the independence from Great Britain. In 1967 Antigua and Barbuda became an Associate State, answering to the UK only in matters of foreign policy and defence. In November 1981, Vere Bird, the Prime Minister and charismatic leader of the independence movement led the country to independence. Today, Antigua and Barbuda are part of the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS), which promotes economic co-operation, trade and joint action on major common problems. Since the 1960s the two islands have gradually abandoned their agricultural economy, to become a tourist paradise.
PILLARS restaurant
Nelson’s Dockyard - Open for Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner T + 268 460 1027