History of the Cayman Islands facts for kids
The Cayman Islands are a group of islands in the Caribbean. They are a British overseas territory, which means they are part of the United Kingdom but govern themselves. Many different governments have controlled the islands since Europeans first found them.
Christopher Columbus saw the Cayman Islands on May 10, 1503. He named them Las Tortugas, which means "The Turtles". He chose this name because he saw many sea turtles swimming nearby. Columbus first found the two smaller islands, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman.
Later, in 1523, a map called the "Turin map" called them Los Lagartos. This means "The Alligators" or "Large Lizards". By 1530, the islands were known as the Caymanes. This name comes from the Carib language word caimán. It refers to the marine crocodile, like the American or Cuban crocodile, which also lived there.
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Early Settlement and Life
Archaeologists have looked at Grand Cayman but found no signs of people living on the islands before the 1500s.
The first English visitor on record was Sir Francis Drake in 1586. He said the caymanas (crocodiles) could be eaten. But it was the turtles that really brought ships to the islands. Sailors needed fresh meat for their long journeys. Sadly, too much turtle fishing almost made the turtles disappear from the local waters.
Turtles were very important for the islands' economy. In 1787, one captain estimated that 1,200 to 1,400 turtles were caught and sold each year in Jamaica. When local turtles became scarce, Caymanian turtle fishers traveled to other islands to continue their work.
Local stories say the first people to live on the islands were Ebanks and Bawden (or Bodden). They supposedly arrived around 1658 from Jamaica. The first person recorded to be born on Grand Cayman was Isaac Bodden, around 1700. He was the grandson of the first settler named Bodden.
Many early settlers came from outside the Cayman Islands. They were often people looking for a new start. Because of this, the Cayman Islands were often seen as a "frontier society." This means they were quite wild and had few laws in the early days. This continued even into the 1900s.
Permanent settlement on Grand Cayman began around 1734. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman were not settled until 1833. Many different kinds of people settled on the islands. These included pirates, people escaping the Spanish Inquisition, sailors who survived shipwrecks, and enslaved people. Today, most Caymanians have roots from Africa, Wales, Scotland, or England. There has also been a lot of mixing between these groups.
In the early years, Spanish forces from Cuba often attacked settlements on Grand Cayman's north and west sides. In 1669, a Spanish privateer (a private ship allowed to attack enemy ships) burned twenty homes on Little Cayman.
People living on the islands often practiced "wrecking." This meant they would try to attract passing ships to the dangerous reefs. They might tie lanterns to mules or donkeys and walk them along the beaches. Or they would light big bonfires. Sailors, not knowing the area, would often get stuck on the reefs trying to get closer. Once a ship was stuck, islanders would go out in canoes. They would pretend to help but would actually take goods from the ship.
Becoming a British Territory
England officially took control of the Cayman Islands in 1670. This happened after the Treaty of Madrid (1670), which also gave England control of Jamaica. The first English settlers came to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac between 1661 and 1671. These early settlements were later abandoned after attacks by Spanish privateers.
However, English privateers often used the Cayman Islands as a base. In the 1700s, the islands became a popular hiding spot for pirates, even after privateering was no longer allowed in 1713. After several tries, people began to settle the islands permanently in the 1730s.
On February 8, 1794, ten ships were wrecked on the reef in Gun Bay, Grand Cayman. These ships were part of a group protected by a British warship. Despite the darkness and strong waves, local settlers bravely tried to rescue the people on board. It is believed that six to eight people died that night. But more than 450 people were saved! This event is now known as The Wreck of the Ten Sail.
A legend says that a member of the British Royal Family was on one of the wrecked ships. Many believe it was a nephew of King George III. To thank the islanders for their bravery, King George III supposedly made a special rule. This rule said Caymanians would never have to serve in wars or pay taxes. No official document has been found to prove this rule. But the Cayman Islands are still a tax-free British overseas territory today.
From 1670, the Cayman Islands were connected to Jamaica. But they had a lot of self-government. In 1831, the people decided to create a Legislative Assembly. This was done at a meeting at Pedro St. James Castle. Elections were held, and the new assembly passed its first local laws in December 1831. The governor of Jamaica then approved a legislature. It had eight magistrates (appointed by the Jamaican governor) and 10 (later 27) elected representatives.
When the Federation of the West Indies broke apart, many Caribbean islands became independent. The Cayman Islands were very against becoming independent. They worried they did not have enough natural resources to survive on their own. They also feared losing special visas that allowed Caymanian sailors to work on American ships.
The United Kingdom created a new government plan for territories that did not want independence. This plan allowed them to keep strong ties with London. In the Cayman Islands, the Governor only had to keep the Executive Council informed.
Slavery in the Cayman Islands
Grand Cayman was the only island of the three that had slavery. However, there were no violent slave revolts on Grand Cayman. Historians discuss how important slavery was to the island's society. The period of slavery in the Cayman Islands lasted from 1734 to 1834.
In 1774, about 400 people lived on Grand Cayman. Half were free, and half were enslaved. By 1802, out of 933 people, 545 were enslaved. A census in April 1834 showed a population of 1,800. About 46 percent were free Caymanians. By the time slavery ended, there were more enslaved people than slave owners or free people on Grand Cayman.
In 1835, Governor Sligo came from Jamaica to declare all enslaved people free. This was done according to the British Slavery Abolition Act 1833.
Caymanian settlers did not like being controlled by Jamaica. They often tried to go against the authorities. This problem became very clear before slavery ended in 1835. Caymanian slave owners did not want to give up the free labor they got from enslaved people. They refused to follow new British laws against slavery. They even organized ways to resist the authorities in Jamaica.
White residents on the islands also did not want Black soldiers from the West India Regiment stationed there. They felt insulted by the idea of Black soldiers defending their settlements.
Changes in Government
The Cayman Islands were officially part of Jamaica from 1863. They were like a small area of Jamaica, with local officials and elected representatives. From 1750 to 1898, a Chief Magistrate managed the islands. This person was appointed by the Jamaican governor. In 1898, the Governor of Jamaica started appointing a Commissioner for the Islands. Frederick Sanguinetti was the first Commissioner.
In 1959, the Federation of the West Indies was formed. The Cayman Islands officially stopped being a dependency of Jamaica. However, the Governor of Jamaica remained the Governor of the Cayman Islands and still had some power. From 1959, an Administrator managed the islands' daily affairs for the Governor.
When Jamaica became independent in 1962, the Cayman Islands ended their connection with Jamaica. They chose to become a direct dependency of the British Crown. The chief official of the islands then became the Administrator.
In 1953, the first airfield (airport) opened in the Cayman Islands. The George Town Public hospital also opened. Barclays Bank opened the first commercial bank, starting a new era of formal business.
Modern Governance and Challenges
After women campaigned for two years to gain more rights, the Cayman Islands received their first written constitution in 1959. For the first time, women were allowed to vote. The Cayman Islands also stopped being a dependency of Jamaica.
In 1966, new laws were passed to help and encourage the banking industry in the Cayman Islands.
In 1971, the government structure changed again. A governor now led the Cayman Islands. Athel Long was the last Administrator and the first governor of the Cayman Islands.
In 1991, a review of the 1972 constitution suggested some changes. The position of chief secretary was brought back in 1992. It had been removed in 1986. There was also a suggestion to create a chief minister position.
However, in November 1992, elections were held for a larger Legislative Assembly. The government was strongly defeated. A group called the "National Team," who were critics of the government, won most of the seats. They were against having a chief minister and wanted to cut government spending. Thomas Jefferson, who had been the financial secretary, became the leader of government business.
In the 1996 election, the National Team won again but with fewer seats. The Cayman Islands and Jamaica still share many connections. These include a common church (the United Church in Jamaica and the Cayman Islands) and an Anglican diocese. They also used the same currency, the Jamaican dollar, until 1972. In 1999, many people working in the Cayman Islands were from Jamaica.
Hurricane Ivan
In September 2004, Hurricane Ivan hit the Cayman Islands. It caused a lot of damage, especially on Grand Cayman. Many animals died, and there was widespread flooding. However, no human lives were lost. Some reports said that most of Grand Cayman was underwater. The lower floors of some buildings were flooded by more than 8 feet of water.
This natural disaster caused an insurance company called Doyle to go bankrupt. The company had estimated only 20% damage for re-insurance, but the actual damage was over 65%. They could not keep paying out claims.
There was a lot of tension after Hurricane Ivan. The leader of government business, Mr. McKeeva Bush, decided to close the islands to reporters and aid. He only allowed Cayman Airways planes to land. Thousands of people were stranded without shelter, food, or fresh water. They waited at the airport hoping to leave. Most people who evacuated had to pay for private flights.
The government also decided to turn away two British warships that arrived the day after the storm with supplies. Many islanders were very upset by this decision. Power and water were cut off because of damaged pipes and utility poles. It took about three months for all utilities to be restored. A Canadian company, Fortis Inc., sent a team to help the local power company, CUC, with repairs.
Mr. Bush later reported on the damage: "Hurricane Ivan weakened to a category four hurricane as it moved over Grand Cayman. It is the most powerful hurricane ever to hit the Cayman Islands. The eye of the storm passed within eight to 15 miles of Grand Cayman. It struck on Sunday, September 12, bringing winds of 155 miles per hour, gusts up to 217 mph, and a storm surge of sea water of eight to 10 feet, which covered most of the Island. A quarter of Grand Cayman remained underwater two days later. Both Cayman Brac and Little Cayman also had damage, but not as much as Grand Cayman.
Damage on Grand Cayman was huge. 95% of our homes were damaged, and about 25% were destroyed or too damaged to fix. We had 6,000 homes that people could not live in. Thankfully, very few lives were lost in Cayman, considering the storm's impact."
Even years later, there were still visible signs of damage to plants and buildings, especially along the southern and eastern coasts. It took a long time for the island to become a busy financial and tourism spot again. Many residents had housing problems even in late 2005. Some buildings were still abandoned in 2013 because of insurance issues, costs, and new building rules. Many residents simply could not afford to rebuild their damaged homes.
See also
In Spanish: Historia de las Islas Caimán para niños
