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The first inhabitants of Sainte-Lucie were the Arawak Indians probably
arrived around 200AD in order to escape their enemies, the Carib
Indians. Some vestiges of their agricultural traditions and their craft
industry were found on a dozen sites, but these people remain
relatively badly known
The circumstances of the discovery of Saint Lucia by the europeans
remain controversed. It was believed during a long time that Christophe
Colomb accosted there in 1502, but the historians now think that he
never went on this island. The real date of the discovery of Saint
Lucia is unknown, even if the December 13th (date of the hypothetical
discovery by Colomb) is still a national day. It is probably Juan De La
Cosa, former companion of Colomb, who has accosted there in 1499 or
1504, even if no mention is made in his ship's book. On a map drawn by
Cosa in 1500, an island called El Falcon could be Saint Lucia.
But it is only in 1605 that the first attempt of colonization took
place. 67 english men, on the way of Guyana on the Olive Branche,
accosted close from Vieux Fort in the south of the island. The Caribs
Indians sold shelters to them, but a few weeks later, only 19 had
survived and decided to leave the island with a Carib boat.
In 1639, an english exepdition commanded by Sir Thomas Warner failed,
decimated by the Caribs Indians. In 1651, French arrived after the
purchase of the island. Eight years later has begun 150 years of war
between France and England for the possession of Saint Lucia.
The two nations gained and lost the ownership of the island 14 times
before the final victory of England in 1814. However, the French
cultural is still present, in particular in the denomination of the
villages and the heritage of the creole patois.
The first village to be developed was Soufriere under the impulse of
France in 1746. In 1780, a cyclone entirely devastated Sainte-Lucie,
but the rebuilding was fast, under the impulse of the African slaves.
But the quasi-permanent war between French and English did not allow
the creation of agricultural as in the other islands of the area.
Slavery was abolished in 1838.
In 1782, the admiral George Rodney who had established the base of the
English fleet in Gros Islet bay, launched a victorious attack on his
French enemy De Grasse in the Dominica passage. This episode was called the
'Battle of the Saints'. During the hostilities, the main part of the
villages were destroyed, including Castries, the capital, which was entirely
devasteted by fire in 1796.
In the same year, another English victory was gained by the General
Moore.
Castries was again devastated by fire in 1812, and another cyclone caused
terrible damage in 1817. The English trading law was introduced in
1827. After the abolition of slavery in 1838, the island was attached
to the English government of Barbados and English became the official
language in 1842.
The industry of coal began in 1863 in Castries which became the most
important coal port in this part of the world for nearly one hundred
years. This industry declined during the second half of the 20th
century.
In 1929, an airport was built, reducing the dependency of the island to
maritime transport. During the second world war, the island was used by
American and two airports were built close to Castries and Vieux Fort.
In 1951, the citizens of Saint Lucia acquired the voting right and a
new constitution was founded for the Windward Islands. Saint Lucia has
been completely independant since 1979.
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