Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, also frequently known simply as Saint Vincent, is an Anglo-Caribbean country of several islands in the Lesser Antilles island arc, in the southeast Windward Islands, which lies in the West Indies at the southern end of the eastern border of the Caribbean Sea where the latter meets the Atlantic Ocean. Its consists of the main island of Saint Vincent and the northern two-thirds of the Grenadines, a chain of 32 smaller islands.
Christopher Columbus named the island after St. Vincent of Saragossa, whose feast day it was on the day Columbus first saw it (22 January 1498). The name of the Grenadines refers to the Spanish city of Granada, but to differentiate it from the island of the same name, the diminutive was used. Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the Carib natives who inhabited the island of St. Vincent called it Youloumain, in honour of Youlouca, the spirit of the rainbows, who they believed inhabited the island.
Th French who were first able to colonise the island. The French brought with them enslaved African prisoners of war to work the plantations of sugar, coffee, indigo, tobacco, cotton and cocoa. The British captured the island during the Seven Years’ War. On taking control in 1763, the British laid the foundations of Fort Charlotte and also brought with them enslaved African prisoners of war to work on the island plantations.
The Black Caribs however, opposed to the British presence, went into open conflict against the British, starting the First Carib War (1772 to 1773). During the Anglo-French War (1778–1783) the French recaptured St Vincent in 1779. However, the British regained control under the Treaty of Versailles (1783). The uneasy peace between the British and the Black Caribs led to the Second Carib War (1795 to 1796). Their revolt and uprising was eventually put to an end in 1797. In 1806 the building of Fort Charlotte was completed and by 1834, the British abolished slavery.
During the period of its control of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Britain made several attempts to unify the island with other Windward Islands as a single entity, with the aim of simplifying British control in the Anglo-Caribbean region through a single unified administration. In the 1960s, the British again tried to unify all of its regional islands into the West Indies Federation.However, the attempt collapsed in 1962.
Saint Vincent was granted “associate statehood” status by Britain on 27 October 1969. On 27 October 1979 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines became the last of the Windward Islands to gain full independence.
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