Anse la Raye District – 'L'Egalité' during the French Revolution
Anse la Raye, French for 'bay of the rays', takes its name from the many rays found in its bay. In French colonial times the area was a centre of sugar production, with as many as 107 estates recorded in 1775 according to church records. During the French Revolution the enslaved people were freed, the plantations burned and the town was renamed L'Egalité.
Afterwards, most people turned from the land to the sea, and fishing became the main livelihood. In the mid-20th century banana and coconut oil production grew in importance, along with boat building. The district is still known for its feather racing boats and canoe races. Have an Anse la Raye story? Share it with the community!