|
| |
1492 and Before - Amerindians in Barbados
|
The first Amerindians:
Years ago the first settlers arrived in America. These Red Indians explored America and the surrounding Caribbean islands.
It is not known exactly when these first Amerindians discovered Barbados and settled on the island. Estimates range from 1623 BC until around 400AD. Archaeologists have been able to analyse remains of the first Amerindians in Barbados, including pottery covered in intricate designs and also some primitive forms of agriculture, to determine these dates.
As further construction takes place on Barbados, more findings are discovered, so it is possible that in the future we discover that the Amerindians actually arrived even earlier.
For some reason around 600AD these Amerindians left Barbados. However, 200 years later, they returned - albeit this time regrouped as a tribe called the Arawaks.
The Arawaks
The Arawaks were very successful explorers and swept northwards amongst the islands of the Caribbean. However, despite their ability to find and colonise islands, they eventually settled in Barbados due to its coral reefs, lack of dense rain forests, fertile soil, and abundance of clay and conch shells. The coral reefs provided habitation for an abundance of fish that the Arawaks could easily catch and eat.
The lack of rainforest and fertile soil allowed the Arawaks to grow crops; including, peanuts, squash and a variety of fruits. They grew Cassava from which they took out the poison, turned the natural juice into vinegar, and used it to bake Cassava cakes. These cakes were the main food in their diet.
The Arawaks were also talented craftsmen, making sharp tools from conch shells to fish, building canoe type long boats, and making domestic products such as graters, juice squeezers and clay.
The abundance of clay on the island facilitated pottery and they made bowls, cups and vessels decorated with pictures of their surroundings such as the animals they encountered. In addition, they cultivated tobacco, which they chewed or smoked, and cotton, which they used to make hammocks for sleeping.
The Arawaks had olive skin and long dark hair, enjoyed singing and dancing, and lived in cone shaped houses with thatched roofs.
Thousands of Arawaks lived on the island with a head-chief as the Governor. A group of headmen ruled over each village. They were monogamous and were only allowed one woman.
They were a kind, and gentle people who did not have barbaric customs such as human sacrifice. They lived in peace in Barbados for hundreds of years in isolation from the rest of the world.
The Caribs
In 1200 AD a new type of Amerindians settled in Barbados - The Caribs. They were like the Arawaks in their appearance, but they were much more fierce and warlike, and they indulged in human sacrifice.
Carib boys were trained to be warriors from a young age. Ordeals designed to make them strong had to be endured such as having a bird beaten to death against their young body.
Women ate separately to the men only after the men had finished eating. When going into battle the Carib men made scars on their own faces using the sharp teeth of agoutis rodents to make themselves look terrifying.
The Caribs were cannibals, which terrified the Arawaks. When they conquered famous enemies, they smoked the meat and ate it in victory. The Caribs attacked mostly at night and killed the enemies they captured in cruel and bloodthirsty ways.
Eventually the peaceful Arawaks of Barbados were either killed by the Caribs, or fled to neighbouring islands.
The Caribs inhabited Barbados until the Spanish invaded in 1492. The Spanish captured the Caribs and transported them back to Spain to work as slaves.
In a wonderful twist of fate, the displaced Arawaks were granted the right to live as free men, and not as slaves, by the Spanish. This was thanks to the labours of Bartolome de las Casas, the Apostle of the Indians.
So successful was Bartolome de las Casas' in his endeavours that orders were put in place so that even if an Arawak was captured by the Spanish and taken back to Spain to work as a slave, the Arawak was immediately sent straight back to their island.
Despite the Spanish successfully taking control of Barbados, they soon abandoned it, in favour of colonising the larger islands in the Caribbean. Barbados was once again an uninhabited island, free for anyone to claim as her own.
The arrival of the English to Barbados
Approximately 100 years after the Spanish had left Barbados, the English arrived. The English settlers had difficulty obtaining water and working the land. Captain Henry Powell went to the other Caribbean islands and brought back 40 Amerinidian Arawaks as free men to Barbados and, with their special knowledge and skill, they helped the English produce crops.
|
|
|
|
|
| Feedback and Reviews |
Back to: History
Visitor Rating: 0.00 from 0 users
Information Assumed Accurate On: May 5, 2011
Rate This Article
|
Visitor Comments:
By: Peter Weatherhead
IF the Spanish did indeed visit Barbados it is hardly likely they did so in 1492. Columbus was the first European who "discovered" the northern islands of the Caribbean in October 1492. The Portuguese (who apparently preceded the Spanish in landing in Barbados) didn't visit until later.
Date: May 18, 2011
By: Peter Weatherhead
From the Encyclopedia Britannica:
Spaniards may have landed by 1518, and by 1536 they had apparently wiped out the Indian population.
Date: May 18, 2011
By: David G. Brooks
That part about the Spanish and the Caribs is TOTALLY untrue. The Portuguese discovered Barbados, but didn't want it, it was the English that actually took possession of it 1625. The Spanish 'may' have visited it in the interim, maybe even the French, but again had NOTHING else to do with it. As far as I know only Arawaks lived on Barbados, as seen by several archaeological digs, but nothing on the Caribs, sorry.
Please get your facts straight and try not to believe everything you find on Wikipedia and then jaxx it up.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
FROM TOTALLY BARBADOS
Due to the last 2 comments, Totally Barbados wishes inform our visitors that we read and reviewed the following sources for the creation of our Historical content.
Firstly, we first checked what our own Barbados government believes to be the historical truth:
http://www.foreign.gov.bb/pageselect.cfm?page=17
We then went to the library and on the internet and referred to the following books.
"The Caribbean people, Book 2" By Lennox Honeychurc
"The dynamics of Euro-African co-operation" By Eric C. Djamson
"Barbados - A History from the Amerindians to independence" By F.A. Hoye
"Caribbean story" By William Claypole, Coleridge Barnett, John Robotto
"The North Atlantic World in the Seventeenth Century" By K. G. Davies
We finally referred to the following websites:
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/52655/Barbados - the Encyclopedia Britannica
http://www.nps.gov/seac/outline/06-carib_prehistory/index-2.htm - a US Department of the Interior website
> Caribbean Amerindian Centrelink website, www.centrelink.com, as the history of Barbados.)
http://www.africanaencyclopedia.com/barbados/barbados.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sponsored/travel/world-travel-market/8110863/Barbados-an-island-shaped-by-Caribbean-history-and-nature.html (this is a leading English newspaper, which we believe would have checked their facts too).
We hope all visitors spend the time reading through the other Barbados history articles on our website, and through the resources above.
We are always willing to learn and improve, and in turn help others learn more about Barbados, so if you have any further comments to make please do so in a rational manner, citing your resources.
Best Regards,
Totally Barbados Team
+++++++++++++
Date: May 8, 2011
By: Douglas Newsam
I wonder where this 'research' came from and by whom was it compiled. I cannot recall ever hearing this story of the Amerindians of Barbados, be they Carib or Arawak, being taken to Spain as slaves. Unless the facts of this article can be substantiated and the references provided, I suggest that it be treated as merely someone's speculation.
FROM TOTALLY BARBADOS
Many thanks for spotting this error. You are correct in that it should not read Spain, but Spanish colonies. We will correct the article accordingly. We appreciate good informed feedback such as this in order to ensure our website is factual.
Date: May 8, 2011
By: Patricia
I find the history of Barbados fascinating. My mother's side of the family are from there. I have een doing genealogy for them for the longest time. I find all of this & the history just wonderful to know. It is something to research.
Date: Apr 29, 2011
By: Ann
I found the review on Amerindians in Barbados very interesting and would be pleased if more is written about Barbadian history.
Date: Apr 28, 2011
Submit a Review or Comment |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
| Barbados Newsletter |
|
|
| |
|
