In the late 12th century the Awarks, an Ameridian tribe sailing by dugout canoes from South America’s mainland, were the first people to land and settle on the island of Barbados. The Awarks developed this empty island into an agricultural site by growing cotton, cassava, corn, peanuts, guavas and papayas. However, the Awarks were attacked and conquered by the Carib tribe. The Caribs inhabited the island until 1492 when the Spanish landed upon the island killing the Caribs through war, small pox and tuberculosis. The Spanish never settled the island but moved on in search for larger islands.

In the year 1627 English colonization began when Captain Henry Powell and his party of 80 settlers landed upon the small island. During this time, Powell introduced sugar to the area’s agricultural. Through forced labor from West Africa, the sugar industry prospered until the late 1600s, when many natural disasters caused the sugar industry to decrease. By 1720 Barbados was no longer a leading force within the sugar industry.

Barbados remained under British rule until internal autonomy was granted in 1961. The island gained independence in 1966, however Barbados still maintains ties in the British Monarch and is a member of the Commonwealth.