History
of Montserrat
Since
I know you'll want some information about the history of our island,
I'll share with you this sheet I found among my papers, which
I now keep in a strong box. Perhaps it will be helpful.
Important Moments in the
History of Montserrat
25 million B.C. — Montserrat
rose above the sea. Thrust up from the ocean's floor by volcanic
activity that boiled, bubbled, flowed, and then went to sleep.
500 B.C. to 500 A.D. — Arawak Indians
journeyed by canoe up the Caribbean from South America and settled
in Montserrat.
Mid-1400s — Arawak Indians were driven
out of Montserrat by a more aggressive group of Indians known
as the Caribs. They gave the island its indigenous name, Alliouagana,
which means "land of prickly bush" (named for the
vegetation along the coast).
1493 — On November 11 Christopher
Columbus sighted Montserrat and gave the island its present
name because it reminded him of a mountain monastery in Spain.
1632 — Sir Thomas Warner led a group
of English and Irish settlers from St. Kitts to start a colony.
More Irish immigrants came from the colony of Virginia.
1650 — Sugarcane was introduced to
the island.
1664 — The French took possession
of Montserrat. Slavery was introduced to the island.
1668 — Montserrat was returned to
England.
1712 — The French sacked Montserrat.
1780 — Montserrat was damaged by the
Great Hurricane of 1780.
1782 — The French recaptured Montserrat.
1783 — Montserrat was returned to
England as part of the Treaty of Versailles.
1834 — Slavery was abolished in Montserrat.
1857 — Joseph Sturge formed the Montserrat
Company and introduced the cultivation of lime trees.
1871 — Montserrat became part of the
Leeward Islands Colony of Great Britain.
1900s, 1930s — Earthquake tremors
(which are now connected with the island's volcanic activity)
affected the island.
1956 — The Leeward Islands Federation
was abolished, and Montserrat became a separate colony.
1958 — Montserrat joined the West
Indies Federation.
1960s — Earthquake tremors affected
the island.
1962 — The West Indies Federation
was abolished (when Jamaica became independent), and Montserratians
voted to remain a dependency of Great Britain.
1965 — A PanAm jet approaching Guadeloupe
crashed into Chance's Peak.
1989 — Hurricane Hugo passed
over Montserrat as a Category 4 hurricane, devastating much
of the island.
Sincerely,
Melvin Clifton Proprietor
Footnote:
Melvin Clifton is a fictitious character. Any relationship to
organizations or persons past or present is strictly coincidental.
Review Questions
- Describe how the island of Montserrat was formed.
- What natural disasters have affected the island of Montserrat?
- What are the first signs that the volcano on Montserrat was awakening?
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