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Trinidad and Tobago

The original inhabitants of Trinidad and Tobago were Amerindians of Arawak and Carib extraction. Archeological evidence shows that people have been living in the area for at least 7000 years.

Christopher Columbus was the first European to make contact with the islands. He and his crew in three ships came upon the islands of Trinidad and Tobago during his third voyage on July 31st, 1498. They sighted Tobago and dropped anchor on the Trinidadian coast and explored the island for several days. They claimed the island of Trinidad for Spain before sailing on to South America.

Trinidad

Trinidad was said to have been densely populated at the beginning of Spanish colonization in 1498, but slave raiding by Spain to supply the pearl-fishing industry in nearby Isla Magarita contributed to the depletion of the native population of Trinidad.

On February 18, 1797, a British fleet of 18 warships forced the surrender of the Spanish colony, thus bringing to an end Spain's rule over the island. Trinidad was formally ceded to Great Britain by the Treaty of Amiens in 1802.

Tobago

Amerindians of Carib extraction lived in Tobago at the time of first European contact. The English were are said to be the first Europeans to land on Tobago in 1580. In 1608 they claimed the island in the name of James I of England. The Spanish attempted settlement in 1614 but abandoned it four months later. The first successful European settlers were the Dutch who, in 1628, made a settlement called Fort Flushing near present-day Plymouth. The Dutch settlement was destroyed by a Spanish expedition on January 1, 1637. Colonists from Courland (a Central European Dukedom) attempted settlement in 1637, 1639 and 1642 without success. The English tried in 1639, 1642 and 1647 but also met with failure.

Courlanders finally succeeded in 1654. They made settlement in the Great Courland Bay on May 20. Four months later, in September 1654, the Zeelandian Dutch founded a settlement on the opposite end of Tobago at Lampsins Bay. Due to the Baltic War, the Courland colony could not be maintained and on December 1659, it surrendered to the Dutch.

Tobago flourished as a Dutch plantation colony. In 1660 it was producing sugar, Rum and Cacao, and had 8500 colonists, including 7000 slaves. In January 1666, however, the colony surrendered to British pirates from Jamaica. The French in turn forced the English out in August 1666. But when the Dutch returned in April 1667, they found a deserted island and took possession. A Courland attempt at re-colonization in December 1668 was rebuffed by the Dutch. But the Dutch could not resist a large English expedition that arrived in December 1672. The English sacked the Dutch colony, deported its residents to Barbados and left Tobago abandoned. The Dutch regained possession of Tobago by treaty in 1674. In 1677 the French began a new attempt to sack the re-established Dutch outpost. It took them nearly a year, in two attempts, to sack the Dutch settlement. After the Dutch surrendered, French troops destroyed the Sterreschans fort and left the island abandoned once again.

Tobago was finally ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1814. In 1889, Britain incorporated Trinidad and Tobago into a single crown colony.

After the abolition of slavery in 1833, Britain began importing indentured laborers from India to take the place of slaves in the plantation labor force. About 150,000 Indians arrived Trinidad in this manner.

Trinidad and Tobago became part of the Federation of the West Indies -- a political union of ten British West Indian island colonies -- on April 22, 1958. Port of Spain, the Trinidadian capital was made the headquarters of the Federation. But, despite common cultural and political bonds, regional differences caused the dissolution of the federation. On May 31, 1962, the Federation collapsed and on August 31, Trinidad and Tobago became an independent country.