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| Cayman Islands. |
Cayman Islands History
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The Cayman Islands were discovered by Columbus
during his fourth and last voyage to the New World on May 10,
1503. The Cayman Islands received its name because Columbus
saw an a number of sea turtles on his trip and decided to call
the islands Las Tortugas. The islands were later named Lagartos,
meaning alligator or large lizard and finally, the name Caymanas
was applied around 1540, derived from the Caribbean word for
marine crocodile. |
The Cayman Islands came under British control in 1655 when Jamaica
was captured from the Spanish by Oliver Cromwell's army. They officially
became part of the British Empire under the Treaty of Madrid in
1670, after which Spain recognized British possession of "all
lands, islands, colonies and places situated in the West Indies."
For almost 300 years after that, the islands were administered as
a dependency of Jamaica.
The first recorded settlement of the Cayman Islands was dated from
1666-1671 with descendants of emigrants from the British Isles.
The first royal land grant in Grand Cayman, signalling the beginning
of permanent settlement, was recorded around 1700’s. The first
settlements included the use of slaves and the population of the
islands was about 400 people. During this time the island produced
a great quantity of gods such as cotton, corn, yams, sweet potatoes,
plantains, melons, limes, and many other fruits and vegetables.
An important event in the islands history is the "Birth of
Democracy" in the Cayman Islands. On December 5, 1831, Pedro
St. James great house in Savannah was the site of a historic meeting
of residents during which there was a resolution that representatives
should be appointed for the five different districts for the purpose
of forming local laws for Government. The elections took place on
10 December in the five districts on Grand Cayman and on December
31 they met as the first Legislative Assembly for the first time
in George Town.
In addition, another historic event took place in May 1835. During
this time a proclamation declaring the emancipation of all slaves
throughout the colonies was read at Pedro St. James and at a number
of other prominent places in the Cayman Islands. When Jamaica attained
independence in 1962, the Cayman Islands chose to remain tied to
Britain as a British Crown Colony. In 1971, the Islands received
their first Governor and the present constitution was adopted in
1972. The islands most recent amendments were adopted in February
1994.
Today, tourism forms the strong economy and prosperity of the Cayman
Islands.
More Information
 www.state.gov
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Cayman Islands Travel Guides
Frommer's Cayman Islands
Lonely Planet Cayman Islands
Let's Go Cayman Islands
Fodors Cayman Islands
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