Are the West Indies part of the colonies?
The West Indies Federation was a short-lived federation that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. It consisted of several Caribbean colonies of the United Kingdom.
What colonies were in the West Indies?
In 1623 the English occupied part of Saint Christopher (Saint Kitts), and in 1625 they occupied Barbados. By 1655, when Jamaica was captured from a small Spanish garrison, English colonies had been established in Nevis, Antigua, and Montserrat.
What did the West Indies do in the American Revolution?
From the outset, the Revolutionary War involved the West Indies. The islands became an essential channel of gunpowder and military supplies provided by the French and Dutch for the state militias and the Continental army.
What was brought from the West Indies to the colonies?
They collected “country produce” from outlying farmers at their stores in exchange for imported goods: English cloth, iron, glass, and crockery; East Indian silk, tea, and spices; and West Indian sugar, molasses, rum, salt, fruit, and coffee.
Who colonized West Indies?
British colonisation of Bermuda began in 1612. British West Indian colonisation began with Saint Kitts in 1623 and Barbados in 1627. The former was used as a base for British colonisation of neighbouring Nevis (1628), Antigua (1632), Montserrat (1632), Anguilla (1650) and Tortola (1672).
Were all Caribbean islands colonized?
The four main colonial powers in the Caribbean were the Spanish, English, Dutch, and French. Other countries that held possession of various islands at different times were Portugal, Sweden, and Denmark….European Colonialism in the Caribbean.
| Colonizer | European colonies |
|---|---|
| Spain | Cuba, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico |
Why did the West Indies become the most valuable English colonies?
The West Indies stimulated prosperity on the North American mainland where farmers produced lumber, fish, livestock, and grain to supply the sugar plantations. With the production of sugar, the West Indies overtook the Chesapeake as the most valuable set of English colonies.
Why were the West Indies an important colony for the British?
In the mid-eighteenth century the island colonies of Bermuda, Barbados, Jamaica, and the four Leeward Islands were the British Empire’s most valuable possessions because of the demand for sugar and its by-products, molasses and rum.
When were the West Indies colonized?
British West Indian colonisation began with Saint Kitts in 1623 and Barbados in 1627. The former was used as a base for British colonisation of neighbouring Nevis (1628), Antigua (1632), Montserrat (1632), Anguilla (1650) and Tortola (1672).
When did England colonize the West Indies?
The first colonies of the British Empire were founded in North America (Virginia, 1607) and the West Indies (Barbados, 1625). In 1655 Jamaica was secured.
What is West Indies famous for?
Reggae music, now world-renowned, originated in Jamaica. Modern Caribbean literature owes much to writers and philosophers of the West Indies, including those who emigrated elsewhere; some notable names include Aimé Césaire (Martinique), V.S. Naipaul (Trinidad), Jean Price-Mars and Edwidge Danticat (Haiti), and C.L.R.
Who colonized the West Indies?