History of Barbados Timeline

Sugar cane was introduced to Barbados in 1637 by Pieter Blower. Its cultivation began in the 1640s and completely transformed society and the economy, with sugar becoming the focus of the industry by 1642.

In 1655 the population was estimated at 43,000, including about 20,000 people of African descent. By 1660 there were 27,000 blacks and 26,000 whites; by 1673 slaves outnumbered whites; and by 1684 there were 46,502 enslaved Africans versus 19,568 white settlers, reaching an estimated 42,000 enslaved Africans by 1696 while whites declined to 16,888 by 1715.

Black or slave codes were implemented in Barbados in 1661, 1676, 1682, and 1688. These harsh laws led to several attempted slave rebellions, none of which was successful.

Image source: Slave codes

In 1668 the West Indian sugar crop sold for £180,000 after customs of £18,000. By 1680 over half the arable land was held by 175 large planters using at least 60 slaves each. Increasingly after 1750, plantations were owned by absentee landlords living in Britain and operated by hired managers. By 1750 there were about 18,000 white settlers versus roughly 65,000 African slaves.

By 1700, Bridgetown was one of the three largest cities in English America alongside Boston and Port Royal, Jamaica. The English West Indies produced 25,000 tons of sugar that year, more than Brazil's 20,000. Even after being surpassed by larger islands like Jamaica from 1713, Barbados's estimated value in 1730–1731 was as much as £5,500,000.

Image source: Bridgetown

Britain abolished the slave trade in 1807, ending the importation of enslaved Africans into Barbados, although slavery itself remained legal in the empire for decades longer.

Image source: Slave Trade Act 1807

In 1816, enslaved persons rose up in what was the first of three rebellions in the British West Indies between the end of the slave trade and emancipation, and the largest slave uprising in Barbadian history.

Image source: Bussa's rebellion

Following the largest slave rebellion in Barbadian history, the Barbados legislature passed the Consolidated Slave Law in 1826, which simultaneously granted concessions to the enslaved while providing reassurances to slave owners.

Slavery was finally abolished throughout the British Empire in 1834 under the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, freeing the enslaved population of Barbados.

Image source: Slavery Abolition Act 1833

During the Great Depression, Sir Grantley Adams founded the Barbados Progressive League in 1938, which later became known as the Barbados Labour Party (BLP).

Image source: Barbados Labour Party

Progress toward democracy came in 1942 when the exclusive income qualification was lowered and women gained the right to vote. This was followed by the introduction of universal adult suffrage in 1951.

By 1949, governmental control was wrested from the planters, and in 1953 Grantley Adams became Premier of Barbados, leading the island toward greater self-governance.

Image source: Grantley Adams International Airport

From 1958 to 1962, Barbados was one of the ten members of the West Indies Federation, a federalist organisation doomed by nationalist attitudes and limited legislative power.

Image source: West Indies Federation

In 1961, Errol Walton Barrow supplanted Grantley Adams as Premier as the Democratic Labour Party took control of the government, positioning him to lead the island to independence.

Image source: Errol Barrow

Due to years of growing autonomy, Barbados successfully negotiated its independence at a constitutional conference with the United Kingdom in June 1966.

After years of peaceful and democratic progress, Barbados became an independent state and joined the Commonwealth of Nations on 30 November 1966, with Errol Barrow as its first prime minister and Elizabeth II as Queen of Barbados.

Image source: Barbados Independence Act 1966

The Democratic Labour Party lost the 1976 general election to the Barbados Labour Party under Tom Adams, ushering in a new political era.

Image source: 1976 Barbadian general election

Prime Minister Tom Adams adopted a strongly pro-Western stance, allowing the United States to use Barbados as a launchpad for its invasion of Grenada in 1983.

Image source: United States invasion of Grenada

Tom Adams died in office in 1985 and was replaced by Harold Bernard St. John, whose BLP then lost the 1986 general election to the DLP under Errol Barrow, who had been highly critical of US intervention in Grenada.

Image source: Tom Adams (politician)

Owen Arthur of the BLP won the 1994 general election and remained prime minister until 2008. A strong advocate of republicanism, he planned a referendum to replace Queen Elizabeth as head of state in 2008, but it never took place.

Image source: Owen Arthur

The Democratic Labour Party won the 2008 general election under Prime Minister David Thompson, who died in office in 2010 and was succeeded by Freundel Stuart.

Image source: David Thompson (Barbadian politician)

The Barbados Labour Party returned to power in 2018 under Mia Mottley, who became Barbados's first female prime minister.

Image source: Mia Mottley

On 15 September 2020, the Government of Barbados announced its intention to become a republic by 30 November 2021, the 55th anniversary of independence, replacing the hereditary monarch with an elected president.

Image source: Barbados

On 20 September 2021, just over a year after the transition announcement, the Constitution (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill, 2021 was introduced to the Parliament of Barbados.

On 12 October 2021, Governor-General Sandra Mason was jointly nominated by the Prime Minister and Leader of the Opposition as candidate to be the first President of Barbados, and was elected on 20 October. A UWI survey conducted that autumn showed 34% support for becoming a republic.

Image source: Sandra Mason

Barbados became a republic on 30 November 2021 under Mia Mottley, removing Queen Elizabeth II as head of state. Sandra Mason took office as the country's first president the same day.

Image source: President of Barbados

In January 2022, Mia Mottley's Barbados Labour Party won a landslide victory, taking all 30 legislative seats, in the first general election since Barbados became a republic.

Image source: 2022 Barbadian general election

On 20 June 2022, a Constitutional Review Commission was formed and sworn in to review the Constitution of Barbados. Toward the end of 2024, Barbados released the final report of the commission.

Image source: Constitution of Barbados

In February 2026, Prime Minister Mia Mottley won her third consecutive election victory by landslide, with her Barbados Labour Party again winning all 30 seats in the House of Assembly.