Table of Contents
How did the Europeans come to Trinidad?
Christopher Columbus landed on Trinidad, which he named for the Holy Trinity, in 1498 and found a land quietly inhabited by the Arawak and Carib Indians. It was nearly a century later that Europeans began to settle Trinidad (called “leri&—land of the hummingbird—by the Amerindians).
How did the British influence Trinidad and Tobago?
After Trinidad became a British colony in 1797, the plantation development begun by the French settlers continued. British planters arrived from the older colonies, often with their slaves, and British capital helped to expand the sugar industry.
Was Trinidad a British colony?
Trinidad was formally ceded to Britain in 1802. Its development as a sugar colony began when it was ceded to Britain in 1763 and continued throughout the period from 1763 to 1814, during which time Tobago changed hands between Britain and France several times.
When did Trinidad become a British Crown Colony?
Trinidad became a British crown colony, with a French-speaking population and Spanish laws. The conquest and formal ceding of Trinidad in 1802 led to an influx of settlers from England or the British colonies of the Eastern Caribbean.
Why did the British invade Trinidad in 1797?
Invasion of Trinidad (1797) With the Spanish now at war with Great Britain, the general Ralph Abercromby thought it was right to necessarily render Spain’s colonies an immediate object of attack. His first target was the Spanish island of Trinidad which being close proximity to Tobago which had been captured early in the war.
What was Trinidad like during the Spanish rule?
The sparse settlement and slow rate of population increase during Spanish rule and even after British rule made Trinidad one of the less populated colonies of the West Indies with the least developed plantation infrastructure. The King of Spain Charles IV set up a “Council of War” to look into the surrender.
Where did the people of Trinidad and Tobago come from?
Earliest evidence of these people come from around 2100 BCE along the banks of the Orinoco River in Venezuela. From Trinidad and Tobago, they are believed to have moved north into the remaining islands of the Caribbean.