An Exotic Caribbean Jewel of White Sand Beaches
Tropical Blue Skies, and Alluring Turquoise Waters
for Unforgettable Island Vacations

  •  

    St. Lucia Island Resorts
    Island History
  • 17th Century St. Lucia
  • The first European camp on St. Lucia was begun by the Dutch around 1600 at what is now known as Vieux Fort. Shortly after in 1605, a British ship was blown off course to St. Lucia and 67 settlers attempted to start a colony. Unfortunately, after 5 weeks only 19 remained due to disease and battles with the local Caribs, and the few left decided to flee.

    France laid claim to St. Lucia in 1635, but the British started the next colony in 1639 that was quickly wiped out by the Caribs. The French finally showed up on St. Lucia in 1651, coming in from the Isle of Martinique, and held the island until 1654.

    Thomas Warner claimed St. Lucia for the English in 1664 bringing 1,000 men to defend it from the French. After two short years, only 89 men remained, the rest killed off mostly from disease. For many years after this St. Lucia was traded or claimed back and forth by England and France as part of various treaties and negotiations.

  • 18th Century St. Lucia
  • Both England and France continued to be interested in St. Lucia into the 1700's and notice grew for both nations with the development of the sugar industry around 1765. At this time the British stronghold in the Caribbean was the Island of Barbados and the French made the Isle of Martinique their base of operations. The majority of colonists to St. Lucia were the indentured white servants of wealthy noblemen. As more and more land was taken for the plantations, conflict with the indigenous Caribs escalated.

    Late in the 1700's, the French Revolution occurred and a tribunal was sent to the Island of Saint Lucia headed by Captain la Crosse. Carrying the revolution with him across the seas, a guillotine was built to execute Royalists, who were loyal to the French monarchy. The French governor declared all slaves free, but just shortly after the British invaded at the urging of wealthy plantation owners and slavery was restored to the island after several years of intense fighting. The city of Castries was burned in 1796 as part of this struggle.
  • << prev next >>