British West Indies facts for kids
The British West Indies (BWI) was a name for the lands in the Caribbean that were once controlled by Great Britain. These included many islands and some areas on the mainland. Places like Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago were all part of the British West Indies. Before the 1950s and 1960s, this term covered all British colonies in the region.
In 1912, the British government organized these lands into different groups. These groups included The Bahamas, Barbados, British Guiana, British Honduras, Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago, the British Windward Islands, and the British Leeward Islands.
Later, from 1958 to 1962, many of these islands tried to form a single country called the West Indies Federation. The idea was for them to become independent together. However, this plan did not work out because of many problems and disagreements. The Federation broke up in 1962.
Today, most of these territories are independent countries. They are still part of the Commonwealth of Nations, a group of countries that were once part of the British Empire. A few, like Anguilla and the Cayman Islands, are still British overseas territories. Many of these nations now work together in groups like the Caribbean Community.
Contents
Caribbean Lands That Were British
Here are the lands that were part of the British West Indies. The date in brackets shows when they became independent, if they did:
- The Bahamas (1973)
- Barbados (1966)
- Belize (used to be British Honduras) (1981)
- Bermuda (still a British overseas territory)
- British Leeward Islands
- Anguilla (still a British overseas territory)
- Antigua and Barbuda (1981)
- British Virgin Islands (still a British overseas territory)
- Dominica (1978)
- Montserrat (still a British overseas territory)
- Saint Kitts and Nevis (1983)
- British Windward Islands
- Grenada (1974)
- Saint Lucia (1979)
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (1979)
- Cayman Islands (still a British overseas territory)
- Guyana (used to be British Guiana) (1966)
- Jamaica (1962)
- Trinidad and Tobago (1962)
- Turks and Caicos Islands (still a British overseas territory)
History of the British West Indies
Leeward Islands Group
The first attempt to group the British West Indies islands was in 1674. Sir William Stapleton created a meeting group for the Leeward Islands. This group met regularly until 1711.
By the 1700s, each island made its own laws. However, they still shared one Governor. This early grouping was not very popular.
Between 1816 and 1833, the Leeward Islands were split into two smaller groups. Then, in 1833, they were all brought back together. Dominica also joined this group and stayed until 1940.
In 1869, Governor Benjamin Pine tried to create a new federation. This included Antigua, Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, Anguilla, and the British Virgin Islands. But the islands did not want to share their money. So, this plan failed.
In 1871, the British government passed a law called the Leeward Islands Act. This law put all the islands under one Governor and one set of laws. Each island was called a "Presidency." This federation was also not very popular, but it lasted until 1956. In 1958, the Leeward Islands became part of the new West Indies Federation.
Windward Islands Group
In 1833, the Windward Islands officially became a group. In 1838, Trinidad and Saint Lucia joined this group. However, Trinidad left in 1840. This Windward Islands group was also not popular. Barbados especially wanted to keep its own government. Barbados left the group in 1884.
From 1885 to 1958, the Windward Islands group included Grenada, the Grenadines, St. Vincent, and St. Lucia. Tobago left in 1889 to join Trinidad. Dominica joined the Windward Islands in 1940. It had moved from the Leeward Islands group.
After 1885, the Windward Islands group had one Governor-General in Grenada. Each island still had its own local leader and assembly. The islands did not want to become a single federal colony. The Windward Islands group broke up in 1958. Each island then joined the new West Indies Federation on its own.
Jamaica and Its Nearby Islands
The Cayman Islands and Turks and Caicos Islands were linked to Jamaica. This was for convenience and because of their history. British Honduras was also connected to Jamaica. It needed protection from nearby Spanish colonies. Many English settlers from Jamaica moved to British Honduras in the 1700s.
From 1742, British Honduras was directly under the Governor of Jamaica. In 1862, British Honduras became a Crown Colony. It was still under the Governor of Jamaica. But in 1884, British Honduras, the Cayman Islands, and the Turks and Caicos Islands all became separate from Jamaica.
West Indies Federation
The West Indies Federation was a short-lived group of Caribbean colonies. It existed from 1958 to 1962. The main goal was to create one big country that would become independent from Britain. This was similar to how Australia and Canada became independent. However, the Federation faced many problems. It broke apart before it could become a single nation.
West Indies Associated States
After the West Indies Federation ended in 1962, some Eastern Caribbean islands formed a new partnership. In 1967, they became "Associated States" with the United Kingdom. This meant they had more control over their own affairs. The United Kingdom was still responsible for their defense and foreign matters.
Sports
Cricket
Cricket has always been the most popular sport in the British West Indies. Even though other sports like football are now popular, cricket is still very important. Most of these countries and territories have a combined cricket team called the West Indies cricket team. This team is one of the top international teams in the world. The West Indies hosted the 2007 Cricket World Cup. They also hosted the 2010 ICC World Twenty20.
Images for kids
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Planting sugar cane in Antigua, 1823
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Harbour Street in Kingston, Jamaica, around 1820
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See also
In Spanish: Indias Occidentales Británicas para niños
