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A look at our past - From Settlement and Colonization to Independence
A number of archaeological findings in St. Lucia proved that the island was discovered and settled first, by Arawaks and Carib Indians. Since then it is said that many attempts were made during the 1600s by European settlers, particularly the British, to colonize the island but they were constantly under fierce resistance from the Caribs. The French however, were successful in establishing an agreement with the Caribs which led to the development of the first European settlement in St. Lucia which, is now the town of Soufrière. It is documented that after the establishment of the Soufrière settlement in 1746, the French went on to developing a number of plantations, many of which still exist today, and thus a thriving agricultural economy based on slave labour began on the island (also part of the Slave Trade).
 It is believed that during the French colonization, that repeated attempts were made by the Caribs to expel the French, while the British on the other hand sought to establish their claim over St. Lucia as well. It was then that a bitter series of battles over the ownership of St. Lucia got seriously under way. It is said that both nations, the British and the French, saw St. Lucia as a vital strategic point for their hold of the West Indian islands (Caribbean), and as a result St. Lucia became the prize for over one hundred years of constant warfare. It is documented that during these intense battles between these two nations, that St. Lucia changed possession fourteen (14) times, seven times British, seven times French which, resulted in the island being dubbed "The Helen of the West".
In June 22, 1803, Commodore Hood and Lieutenant-General Grinfield of the British forces fought the final battle to win the island of St. Lucia from France. It was not until 1814 when the Treaty of Paris finally ceded the island of St. Lucia to the British, ending what is believed to be 150 years of bitter conflict for possession between the British and the French.
St. Lucia then became a British Crown Colony and in 1842 English became St. Lucia’s official language. Although there was a change over, culturally, there was still a predominance of French customs and behaviour in many physical aspects of the island. Still in existence are the place names which are mainly French, most of the culture is of French origin, and to this day St. Lucians speak a French-based dialect among themselves, commonly called patois.
 Once a British Crown Colony, in 1838, St. Lucia was included in a Windward Islands Government with a Governor resident first in Barbados and later Grenada. Universal adult suffrage was introduced in 1951 which saw the establishment of a number of political parties. The St. Lucia Labour Party (SLP) won the elections in that year and governed until 1964 when the United Workers’ Party (UWP) took over until 1979.
During that same period, St. Lucia actively participated in the organization of the West Indies Federation which was dissolved in May of 1962. As a result, St. Lucia subsequently participated in the Eastern Caribbean Federation Conference held in London in May 1962, whereby it became an Associated State of Britain with the hope of gaining independent status within the Commonwealth. As a result, in 1967, St. Lucia gained full internal self-government, becoming a state in voluntary association with Britain, and in February 22, 1979, gained full independence status.
Now a former British Crown Colony, St. Lucia adopted a number of systems and practices from the British which was used for establishing its government framework. In February 22, 1979, the United Workers’ Party (UWP) government, led by former Prime Minister the Right Honourable Sir John Compton, began to pave what seemed to be the way for a new beginning for the people and the island of St. Lucia.
St. Lucia’s history continues...
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