Our History

When Christopher Columbus sailed past Grenada in 1498 during his third voyage, he named the island “Concepción,” though Spanish sailors later renamed it “Granada” after the city in Spain. Despite Spanish claims, the island remained untouched by European colonists for over a century, as fierce resistance from the indigenous Kalinago (Caribs) made settlement difficult.

The first serious attempt at colonization came in 1609 by the English, but it failed due to resistance from the Kalinago. In 1650, the French successfully established a settlement after buying the island from a French company. A brutal war followed, resulting in the defeat of the indigenous people. Many Kalinago were killed, and survivors fled or were pushed into isolated areas. The French named the colony La Grenade and developed it for agriculture, especially sugarcane and cocoa, relying heavily on enslaved Africans for labor.

In 1762, during the Seven Years’ War, the British captured Grenada from the French. The island was formally ceded to Britain in 1763 under the Treaty of Paris. Under British rule, Grenada’s plantation economy boomed, driven by sugar, coffee, and cocoa. However, tensions remained. In 1795, Julian Fédon, a free mixed-race planter influenced by the French Revolution, led a rebellion against British rule. His uprising was one of the most serious threats to British control in the Caribbean at the time. Though ultimately unsuccessful, it became a symbol of resistance and anti-colonial spirit.

Slavery in Grenada was abolished in 1834, with full emancipation coming in 1838. As in many other Caribbean colonies, the plantation system struggled to adapt without slave labor. The British brought in indentured workers, mostly from India, though in far fewer numbers than in Trinidad. Many small-scale farmers and formerly enslaved people began cultivating nutmeg and cocoa, crops that remain essential to Grenada’s economy today.

Grenada remained a British colony into the 20th century. After a brief stint as part of the British Windward Islands, it became a separate Crown Colony in 1958. In 1967, Grenada gained full autonomy over internal affairs as an Associated State. Full independence followed on February 7th, 1974, under Prime Minister Sir Eric Gairy, making Grenada one of the smallest independent countries in the Western Hemisphere.

In 1979, a Marxist-inspired coup led by Maurice Bishop’s New Jewel Movement ousted Gairy and established the People’s Revolutionary Government. Bishop sought to align Grenada with Cuba and the Soviet Union, launching sweeping reforms. But internal divisions led to Bishop’s execution in 1983, which triggered a U.S.-led invasion to restore order and democracy. The intervention was controversial but led to the establishment of a democratic government.

Today, Grenada is known as the “Spice Isle,” famed for its nutmeg and cinnamon exports. It remains a constitutional monarchy with a parliamentary democracy and is a member of the Commonwealth. National holidays such as Independence Day (February 7th) and Thanksgiving Day (October 25th, commemorating the U.S. invasion) serve as reminders of the island’s complex, resilient history.