St. Barths was discovered by Columbus in 1493. He named the island after his brother, Bartolomeo. It was first settled by French colonists in 1648. The settlement failed and the island was sold in 1651 to the Knights of Malta, who were all killed five years later by Carib Indians. The island was again settled in 1763 by French mariners. This colony succeeded and flourished. As the terrain was too dry and rocky to harvest sugar, the French settlers became great tradesmen, fisherman, and farmers.

St. Barths remained French until 1784 when it was sold to Sweden in exchange for trading rights. Sweden made St. Barths a tax-free port, which it still remains today. France repurchased the island in 1878, however some Swedish influence can still be seen.

In 1946, St. Barths was given the legal status of a Department of France, an action similar to Americans granting statehood to Hawaii. All citizens were given French passports and were expected to obey French laws.