Grenada – from Kalinago land to the independent Isle of Spice
Long before Europeans arrived, Grenada was inhabited by Arawak-speaking peoples and later by the Kalinago, also known as Caribs. Christopher Columbus sighted the island in 1498, but its inhabitants resisted early attempts at settlement. In the mid-seventeenth century France established a colony; according to tradition, the last Kalinago fighters leapt from the cliffs at Sauteurs rather than surrender.
Under French and, from 1763, British rule, Grenada became a plantation colony worked by enslaved Africans producing sugar and later cocoa and nutmeg. In 1795 Julien Fédon led a major uprising against British rule. Slavery was abolished in the 1830s, and the island remained a British colony, becoming known as the "Isle of Spice".
Grenada gained independence in 1974 under Eric Gairy. In 1979 the New Jewel Movement led by Maurice Bishop took power in a revolution. In 1983 internal conflict led to Bishop's killing, followed by a US-led military intervention, after which parliamentary democracy was restored.
Today Grenada, including Carriacou and Petite Martinique, is shaped by its African and Caribbean heritage, spice cultivation, tourism and a lively carnival tradition.
Do you have stories, photos or memories from Grenada? Share them with other members in our Local History section!