Updated: 2019-06-23.
Here is a brief timeline of important events that have shaped the country of Barbados and its people; the focus here will be geared towards recent events (from 100 years ago or so), located towards the bottom, but we’ll begin with more ancient events first.
1511 – Barbados First Appears on Spanish Maps
1627 – English Settle the Island with Slaves
1629 – Divided into 6 Original Parishes
1639 – Parliament (House of Burgesses) Holds First Meeting
1640 – Sugar Plantations Begin First Cultivation
1663 – Barbados Becomes English Crown Possession
1751 – George Washington Visits, His first and only travels outside American mainland.
1816 – Bussa’s Rebellion, Largest slave uprising in the country’s history.
1834 – Slavery Abolished
1966 – Gains Independence
1967 – Barbados Joins United Nations