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Note: Many thanks for considerable patience and helpfulness go to the staff of the BVI Tourist Board and many other Government departments for making this article and subsequent "List of Firsts" possible. Many dates of significant events recounted here were referenced from; "Ye Ylands of Enchantment - A Profile of the British Virgin Islands" by Norwell Harrigan and Pearl Varlack or were supplied by various government departments, the Chief Minister's office and the Governor's office. Early Colonization of the British Virgin Islands The Caribbean became of great interest to various European countries some 500 years ago, shortly after the discovery of the "new world" by Christopher Columbus who actually thought he was in some part of Asia or the Indies. (Hence the name "West Indies"). Columbus and "Wrong Way" Corrigan had something in common! Many nations, who could afford the expense, sent vessels off to claim new territories and riches for their homelands. The islands which are now known as the British Virgin Islands, were, at various times occupied by the Dutch, Spanish, Danish, French and British. By the 1550's, small settlements had begun to appear all over the Caribbean with each European country annexing the various islands as there own. Gold, silver, copper and gems were the main quest of the reigning monarchs of the day, but most islands, having little of these riches to offer, were deemed suitable only for the production of cotton, sugar cane, spices or food crops. Many of the islands presented such challenging terrain that it was believed the only conceivable way they could be made productive for food or other crops would be through the use of slave labour. The Buccaneers Once these remote bastions of civilization became somewhat established, the shadier element of society began to crop up. Buccaneers (freebooters, pirates and scoundrels) seemed to have crawled out of the woodwork and became firmly established in the West Indies and other parts of the Caribbean for the better part of the next 200 years. One of the most infamous buccaneers in Virgin Island history was Edward Teach (or Thatch ... nobody knows his last name for certain), who became better known as Blackbeard. By all reports, his very long and unruly beard covered the majority of his face, which, presumably, had never been introduced to a razor. Somewhere around 1715 to 1718, Blackbeard and his mob made Soper's Hole (west end of Tortola) their base of operations. (I have not been able to verify this, but considering the close proximity to Soper's Hole, I think its a safe bet that both Thatch and Little Thatch Islands may have been named for this notorious, one time resident of the BVI.) Soper's Hole provided both an excellent haven for this band of thieves and an advantageous spot from which to keep watch along the Sir Francis Drake channel for any ships ripe for plunder. Blackbeard's favourite targets were Spanish Galleons; although he did not seem to be too terribly picky about whom he murdered, robbed or raped. Blackbeard and his buccaneers would lay in wait for unsuspecting trade ships to approach and then pounce as swiftly as a scorpion's sting! They would systematically kill the crew without a second thought, steal the cargo and claim the ship as part of Blackbeard's growing fleet of pirate ships. There are many stories regarding the days of these rogues, some of which would curl your hair. Colonization grew to the point where the buccaneers were (mostly) driven out of the area and the days of undefended piracy were slowly coming to a close. Piracy however continued (although in much smaller doses) for quite some time. The Plantation Era and Slavery With the aid of slavery, prosperity and productivity became the dominating factor throughout the British Virgin Islands. In 1774, the House of Assembly met for the first time in Road Town, Tortola and this is considered the official date of settlement of the British Virgin Islands. Plantations were thriving all over the BVI and inter-island trading was fruitful. Plantation owners were wealthy and by 1805, the population of the British Virgin Islands had exploded to an unprecedented level of 10,520! By the turn of the century, slavery was becoming unfashionable as more and more people world wide, recognized the inherent evils involved with "owning" human beings. Several plantation owners freed their slaves and either gave away or sold their lands for a fraction of their value. Records indicate that 1803 marked the last public auction of slaves in the BVI. By 1808, Great Britain abolished the slave trade altogether and by 1834 (when the Emancipation Proclamation was enacted), more than 63% of the white population had left the islands to return to their homelands. Unfortunately, prior to the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation, countless cruelties would continue to be suffered by slaves in the British Virgin Islands. On May 8th, 1811, 44 year old Arthur W. Hodge was the first and onlyplantation & slave owner to be put to death (by hanging) for his repeated and relentless cruelties to his slaves. Although there is no data to back up the claim, Hodge is said to have been responsible for the deaths of over 60 people, including that of his third wife Ann, who reportedly died from a severe beating dished out by Hodge. His once grand, plantation great house has long since been destroyed by the elements and ravages of time and nearly all evidence of its existence has been buried by the lush Tortola vegetation ... as it should. Finally, on Friday, August 1st,1834, the emancipation proclamation was enacted. Three days later, on Monday, August 4th, the proclamation was read aloud to a large congregation gathered at the site of the Sunday Morning Well (a meeting place where slaves collected water for themselves and their masters) and the remaining 5,133 slaves were declared free once and for all! Life in the islands changed radically following the emancipation proclamation. Most of the remaining plantation owners soon discovered that, without the use of slaves, it was no longer economically feasible to operate their businesses and continue to live in the fashion to which they had become accustomed. By 1844, the majority had abandoned, given away or sold their properties and left the islands for good. With the economy in a very sorry state, the "one time slaves" were left to fend for themselves with properties in various stages of disrepair, starving livestock and only the land and sea to sustain them. The Birth of a Resolute Nation Following emancipation and their subsequent abandonment by the plantation owners, the British Virgin Islanders were faced with having to support themselves by any means possible. In the late 1860's an earthquake "the likes of which had never been experienced", a hurricane (which sunk the Royal mail ship, Rhone and a tidal wave ... all contributed to even more hardships for this tiny Caribbean nation. With determination and a marvelous sense of community spirit, the Islanders pulled together and rebuilt what they could with the limited resources available to them and carried on with what little remained. Quite purposely, slaves had never been taught to swim and few could sail. In fact most were made to be frightened of the sea as their slave masters were concerned that these skills might provide a means of escape. Some knew how to fish and many knew how to grow root vegetables, sugar cane and other crops. The hardy British Virgin Islanders subsisted for generations on whatever they could produce or eke out for themselves. Some learned to build boats and sail while others learned how to rear livestock or farm. One hand washed the other. What they couldn't grow, the sailors would bring from other islands. What they couldn't use or consume, the sailors would take away and sell or trade for those items they could use. To this day, there is a tiny settlement which nowadays is home to only one BVIslander (Norwell Durant who is in his 70's) who still collects and sells salt on the aptly named "Salt Island". Modernization From what I have been able to determine, government was very unsettled for more than a century after emancipation. Sometimes there was a governor (King or Queen's representative) and sometimes there wasn't. Many different forms of government were tested, only to be abolished and replaced with something new ... which in turn was abolished ... and so the cycle continued. It wasn't until 1967 that the modern form of government was established and the late, honourable, H. Lavity Stoutt became the first Chief Minister of the British Virgin Islands. In the 1950's and 60's, Laurence Roosevelt took a tremendous interest in the Virgin Islands and made application to the BVI government to build a resort at Little Dix Bay on Virgin Gorda. The opening of this 50 room, luxury resort in 1964, was widely touted as the BVI's first major step into the highly lucrative tourist industry which today produces slightly more than 50% of the gross revenue of the BVI. However, it should be noted that the 850 acre Guana Island Club was established in 1936 and although small by Little Dix standards, was in truth the first vacation resort established in the BVI. The British Virgin Islands Today When visiting the British Virgin Islands, some may consider this tiny nation "somewhat behind the times". Whilst this may be true to a certain degree, I for one applaud the forward thinking of the BVI government. Cautious and well planned growth is what continues to attract tourism to the BVI as opposed to the "out of control" growth evidenced by some of our neighbouring Caribbean nations. You will not find any high rise buildings in the BVI, because no building "taller than a palm tree" is permitted. The only exception to this rule is the Government Administration Complex on Wickham's Cay I which was opened in 1995. There are very few neon signs and no fast food restaurants. In fact, there isn't even a stop light anywhere in the British Virgin Islands! The BVI Tourist Board coined the phrase, "Nature's Little Secret" ... and I can't think of a better phrase which more accurately describes the BVI. The British Virgin Islands continue to enjoy exceptionally low unemployment, a very healthy economy, self determination and are the envy of many other Caribbean nations. Notes on Population & Little Know Facts It is interesting to note that in 1805, the population of the BVI consisted of 10,520 souls. Of that number, 9,220 were black and 1,300 were white. A Small Pox plague in 1820 decimated the islands and by 1844, (and after emancipation) the total population consisted of 6,689 souls of which 6,489 were black and only 200 whites remained. A cholera outbreak in 1853 claimed nearly 14% of the population and by 1891, only 4,639 sturdy BV Islanders remained, of which 32 were white. In only 86 years, the population had been nearly halved through the rampant spread of disease, natural disasters and as a result of the white population returning to their homelands. From 1891 to 1960, the population increased to 7,921 of which only 45 persons were white. With the advent of tourism beginning in the 1960's and the development of the charter industry as well as off shore banking and financial services in the 1980's, the population of the BVI exploded to 19,864 as of 1999. The breakdown of ethnicity clearly indicates a large growth of international influence as well as immigration from other Caribbean nations: Black 16,560 A little known fact: The architect of the US Capitol Building, William Thornton, was born on the island of Jost Van Dyke in 1759 and was one of the first to free his slaves well before it became the politically correct thing to do. The William Thornton floating bar and restaurant located at Norman Island was named for this famous British Virgin Islander. What the British Virgin Islands Have To Offer We have cable TV and electricity (most of the time), a relatively well maintained road system, excellent grocery stores, an educational system which is improving all the time, a very good hospital (which is about to be expanded), a sophisticated phone service, which, while expensive by any standard, is mostly reliable, an airport (which is in the process of being expanded) and a social security system which is in better shape than most other countries in the world! Add to that; the most spectacular beaches and vistas one could possibly hope for ... and you have paradise! Where else in the world might you find a population of less than 20,000 people with all of the above at their disposal? Recent Historical Facts - A list of "Firsts" The following historical facts may help shed some light onto the very recent growth of the British Virgin Islands, its cultural differences and its infrastructure:
BVI
Chamber Of Commerce & Hotel Association
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