BVI History and Politics

 

Taino Tribe giving gifts to Christopher Columbus

Original Settlers:

The Caribbean was originally inhabited by native Indian tribes known as the Taino or Arawak people and the highly aggressive Carib Tribe (for whom the Caribbean is named). Forced out of their homeland in South America by constant threat from the Caribs, the Taino sought shelter amongst the numerous islands to their northwest. Different branches of their tribe scattered across the Caribbean Islands as well as Florida. They were the first indigenous people that Christopher Columbus encountered when he landed in the Bahamas in 1493. They lived and thrived for millennium until the white man came and nearly wiped them out with diseases and harsh enslavement. Columbus believed them to be very gentle, noble, and likely to be excellent slaves. Although the Spanish claimed original discovery of the territory, they never settled the area and Columbus returned home with several Taino people. It was on Columbus’ second journey to the new world that he found what is now called the Virgin Islands and he named them for the legend of St. Ursula and her 11,000 virgins.

White Bay, Joost van Dyk

The Struggle for Power:

The Virgin Islands grew in popularity as a travel and trade route and it was visited many times throughout the years by explorers, passing cargo and slave ships; however, it would be over 100 years after Columbus landed that the territory was finally settled. The prime location inevitably created a struggle for power as nearly every country wanted a piece of the islands. In 1615, Joost van Dyk, a Dutch Privateer, was recorded to have established the first settlement in Soper’s Hole on Tortola. Dyk was known to farm tobacco and cotton as well as regularly trade with the Spanish colonists who settled in Puerto Rico. In 1625, he expanded to establish Road Town, the Capital of the BVI, and in the same year he aided the Dutch military in the sacking of San Juan, Puerto Rico. Furious, the Spaniards attacked Tortola, thoroughly destroying its defenses and settlements. Dyk fled to a nearby island that was later named for him, then moved to St. Thomas and waited until the Spanish gave up and returned home.

The Islands would be battled over for decades by the Dutch, French, English, and Spanish; all looking for possession of the territory. The islands grew to become a major pirate and Privateer stomping ground where they regularly attacked one another, decimating towns and ships. In particular, Spanish ships were targeted because of their likelihood of carrying valuable treasure, effectively forcing them out of the region and absolving any claims they had on the islands. The Dutch controlled much of the territory but began to loose interest as their colonies were not turning a profit. Additionally, they were plagued by attacks from British Privateers and threatened by the French. Over the next 50+ years, the Dutch struggled to maintain their hold on the territory from the French and British; with no funding or support the territory was eventually overtaken by the British and remains under the authority of the UK to present day.

The House of Assembly members

Politics:

An official form of government in the BVI was lacking for nearly 2 centuries after the British took control of the territory in 1672. Authority over the territory shifted though the years, initially administered by the Governor of the Leeward Islands, then in the form of colonial legislatures, and eventually a Legislative Council, although it is unclear as to when it was established. None of these forms at governing worked and in 1901, the Legislative Council was dissolved and power fell again to the Governor of the Leeward Islands, who appointed a commissioner and executive council. The islands were struggling, they were not economically prosperous and emigration was at all time high. With little to no support or concern from the mother country, the people were anxious for political stability. Finally in 1949, one ordinary fisherman from Anegada named, Theodolph H Faulkner, after transporting his pregnant wife to the capital island of Tortola, was enraged by a medical official and spent several nights in the marketplace chastising the government with mounting enthusiasm. It was not long after that his passionate statements sparked a march of 1,500 islanders on the Commissioners office. They demanded the freedom to self govern with a powerfully worded petition that stated, 

"We are imbued with a desire to decide our local affairs with our own selves. We have outgrown that undesirable stage where one official, or an official clique, makes decisions for us... We are seeking the privilege of deciding how our monies are spent and what shall be our Presidential laws and policies." (https://bvi.gov.vg/content/our-history)

Legislative Council building

As a result in 1950, the Legislative Council was reinstituted but, under a new Constitution and with 8 officials (later to become 15), 4 of which were elected by the local islanders. Since then they have operated as a parliamentary democracy and immediately made drastic improvements to their economy and infrastructure. They supplemented farmers with external capital, boosted tourism, built roads, bridges, and an airport.

In 2007, The Legislative Council was renamed The House of Assembly and the latest version of their Constitution (after being amended 6 times) went into affect and allowed for even greater internal self-government. Although largely independent, ultimate authority still rests with The Queen and is overseen by her appointed Governor. Despite getting off to a very rough start, the British Virgin Islands are a prosperous and thriving island community to this day.

Sources:

About the Territory: Government of the Virgin Islands. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://bvi.gov.vg/content/about-territory

Government and society. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/place/British-Virgin-Islands/Government-and-society

House of ASSEMBLY: Government of the Virgin Islands. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2021, from http://www.bvi.gov.vg/house-assembly

Our history: Government of the Virgin Islands. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://bvi.gov.vg/content/our-history

Politics: Government of the Virgin Islands. (n.d.). Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://bvi.gov.vg/Politics

T.C., 2., T.c., Crowther, 1., Crowther, E., I hope there is no claim that these people were black! My mate made me research the Taino coz he is from Jamaica and claimed the blacks were alreay there when Columbys arrived. I told him no The blacks were brought from Africa as slaves.Where the indig, Dominique, 0., . . . *, N. (2016, March 03). Taíno: Indigenous Caribbeans. Retrieved April 06, 2021, from https://www.blackhistorymonth.org.uk/article/section/pre-colonial-history/taino-indigenous-caribbeans/#:~:text=The%20Ta%C3%ADno%20were%20an%20Arawak,Haiti)%2C%20and%20Puerto%20Rico.