History of Guadeloupe

History of Guadeloupe

Key Dates

• 1493: During his second voyage, Christopher Columbus discovers the island and its dependencies, then inhabited by the Carib Indians.

• Early 16th century: First contacts and conflicts between Europeans (Spanish, French, etc.) and the indigenous people.

• 1635: First French settlement, soon followed by the introduction of enslaved people to harvest sugarcane.

• 1648: The French occupy Les Saintes, Marie-Galante, Saint Martin (shared with the Dutch), and Saint Barthélemy.

• 1660: After a treaty with the French, nearly all the Carib Indians leave the island to settle in neighboring Dominica.

• 1685: Creation of the "Black Code" by Colbert, which governed the lives of enslaved people in 60 articles until 1848.

• Early to mid-18th century: Guadeloupe and its dependencies develop despite several slave revolts, colonist uprisings, devastating epidemics, and hurricanes.

• 1750–1816: European conflicts lead to multiple clashes in the Antilles. Guadeloupe and its dependencies are occupied by the British several times and even briefly incorporated into the Swedish colonial empire before becoming definitively French in 1816.

• 1848: Abolition of slavery, initiated by Victor Schoelcher.

• Second half of the 19th century: Like in Martinique, the island welcomes indentured workers from Africa, India, and China to replace enslaved labor.

• 1878: After a century under Swedish rule, the island of Saint Barthélemy is returned to France and attached to Guadeloupe.

• 1946: After being a colony, Guadeloupe gains the status of an Overseas Department.

• 1961–1963: Early independence movements are followed by the creation of a nationalist and pro-independence movement on the island.

• 1976: Eruption of La Soufrière, leading to the evacuation of the population of Basse-Terre.

• 1983: Following the 1982 decentralization law, the Regional Council of Guadeloupe is created.

• 1999: The "Basse-Terre Declaration" by the presidents of Guadeloupe, Martinique, and French Guiana aims to create a specific status of "autonomous overseas region" for these territories.

• 2002: On January 1st, the euro replaces the French franc.

• 2007: Change for Saint Martin and Saint Barthélemy, now administratively separate from the rest of Guadeloupe, each with the status of an Overseas Collectivity.

• 2009: Guadeloupe and then Martinique are paralyzed by a "general strike against the high cost of living" lasting several weeks, which significantly impacts tourism.