Beyond Barbados, Part 1 - In The Beginning

Most students today understand that the Carolinas were colonized by the English who had come to the Charleston area by way of Caribbean trade routes, primarily Barbados. The story of Barbados is as unique as the island itself. Like the United States, Barbados is an amalgam of international cultures. However, for close to 300 years, Barbados remained a commonwealth of the United Kingdom, only gaining its independence from Britain in 1966.

Barbados was inhabited by Amerindian peoples for about three thousand years before the arrival of European settlers. The English settled in Barbados in 1627, seeking wealth, and escape from the turmoil of the English Civil War. These settlers brought slaves and indentured servants with them, and began looking for a crop they could mass produce, export, and profit from.

Standards

• 6.3 Demonstrate an understanding of the development of the Atlantic World from the invention of the printing press to the Industrial Revolution (i.e., 14501760).
  • 6.3.CE Explain the impact of increased global exchanges on the development of the Atlantic World.
  • 6.3.CO Compare European motivations for exploration and settlement.
  • 6.3.P Summarize the impact of the Transatlantic Slave Trade on ideological, political, and social systems in the Atlantic World.
• 7-1 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the growth and impact of global trade on world civilizations after 1600.
  • 7-1.0 European expansion during the 1600s and 1700s was often driven by economic and technological forces. To understand the influence of these forces, the student will utilize the knowledge and skills set forth in the following indicators:
    • 7-1.5 Compare the differing ways that European nations developed political and economic influences, including trade and settlement patterns, on the continents of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.
• HG.1 Demonstrate an understanding of the characteristics, distribution, and migration of human populations on Earths surface.
  • HG.1.2.PR Explain the cultural, economic, environmental, and political conditions and connections that contribute to human migration patterns.

Resources