When Did Barbados Gain Independence From The United Kingdom?

The Caribbean area of North America is where Barbados is situated. One hundred sixty-seven square miles make up the state’s area. The capital of the nation is Bridgetown.




Barbados’s history of settlement

In the thirteenth century, the Kalinago and Amerindian peoples came there. In the latter half of the 15th century, the Spanish colonized Barbados and gave it a Spanish throne. The Portuguese came to the island in 1536, although they did not occupy it.

The first British ship arrived on the island in 1625, and the first British permanent residents started showing up two years later. Before becoming a British colony, Barbados was declared an English colony.

Large sugarcane plantations were created by the Europeans, who also transported tens of thousands of enslaved Africans as laborers. In 1807, the slave trade was outlawed, and by 1833, all enslaved people had been set free.




Barbados proclaimed its independence on November 30, 1966, but remained a Commonwealth nation.

The British monarch continued to serve as the nation’s hereditary ruler. Roughly 285,000 people were living there, most of whom were of African heritage. Today, hundreds of US, Canada, and UK travelers visit Barbados. The nation commemorated 50 years of independence in 2016.

Journey Toward Independence

Before declaring its independence, Barbados was a British colony for over three centuries. When formerly enslaved people insisted that high income be withheld as a voting prerequisite, the struggle for independence began in the 1930s.

The Barbados Progressive League, which subsequently evolved into the Barbados Labour Party, was founded by Sir Grantley Herbert Adams in response to the civil upheaval (BLP).




The minimum income criterion for voting was dropped in 1942. Adams’ election as the nation’s first prime minister started the country on the road to independence. Adams was changed to Errol Walton Barrow in 1961.

Barrow guided Barbados toward complete independence, becoming its first prime minister. As the Father of Independence and Social Transformation, he is revered.

Liberation of Barbados

Barbados gained independence on November 30, 1966, after the UK parliament passed the Barbados Independence Act. The nation rose to the position of fourth English-speaking nation in the Caribbean.

The national flag was flown and the national song played for the first time at the inaugural celebration of independence, which also included a lavish procession.




Although the state was formally recognized as independent, it kept its cultural links to Britain. The British system is the foundation of the government, religion, and educational system. Barbados observes Independence Day on November 30.

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