Caribbean History Timeline

Date: 1769 
Location: Guadeloupe
Category: Music, Fashion

One of the first mentions of Madras handkerchiefs in the Caribbean was in a folk song called “Adieu Foulard, Adieu Madras.” This song, believed to have been written in Guadeloupe around 1769, tells the story of a woman saying goodbye to her lover. She also bids farewell to the clothes that remind her of their relationship, including items made from Madras fabric. The title, which is in French, means “Goodbye Scarf, Goodbye Madras.

Date: 1781
Location: Caribbean Sea en route to Jamaica
Category: Slavery

On November 29, 1781, the crew of the Zong slave ship threw 132 enslaved Africans overboard. The ship had left Africa on September 6 with about 442 captives, headed for Jamaica. After sailing off course due to navigational errors and with water shortages, Captain Luke Collingwood ordered some of the enslaved Africans to be thrown into the sea. The ship arrived in Jamaica on December 22 with only 208 survivors. Later, the ship’s owners tried to claim insurance money for the lost lives, treating them as cargo. This event caused outrage when it was made public in Britain. It drew attention to the slave trade’s cruelty and became an important case in the growing movement to end slavery. Though no one was punished for the killings, the case had a lasting impact on discussions about the slave trade.

Date: August 22, 1791 to January 1, 1804
Location: Haiti
Category: Slavery. Colonization & Empire

The Haitian Revolution began on the night of August 22, 1791, when enslaved people in the French colony of Saint-Domingue rose against slavery and colonial rule. Over the next 12 years, leaders including Toussaint Louverture, Jean-Jacques Dessalines, Henri Christophe, and many unnamed freedom fighters navigated shifting alliances and wars involving France, Spain, and Britain. The revolution ended with Haiti’s independence on January 1, 1804 creating the world’s first Black republic and the first independent nation founded by formerly enslaved people. Its success permanently ended slavery in Haiti and reshaped struggles for freedom across the Caribbean and the Americas.

Date: March 25, 1807
Location: United Kingdom
Category: Slavery

On March 25, 1807, King George III signed the Slave Trade Act into law, making it illegal for British ships to transport enslaved people. This act was the result of a long campaign by abolitionists like William Wilberforce and Thomas Clarkson. The law didn’t end slavery in British colonies right away, but it was a big step towards that goal. It banned British involvement in buying and selling people from Africa. Ships caught breaking this law could be fined £100 for each enslaved person found on board. While the act didn’t free those already enslaved, it helped pave the way for the complete abolition of slavery in the British Empire, which happened in 1833.

Date: April 14-16, 1816
Location: Parish of St Philip, Barbados
Category: Slavery

From April 14 to 16, 1816, during the Easter holiday, Bussa led a significant slave uprising in Barbados after the House of Assembly rejected the Imperial Registry Bill in November 1815. This proposed bill aimed to create a registry of enslaved people, tracking births, deaths, and sales. Many enslaved individuals interpreted the discussions around the bill as a sign of possible emancipation. Bussa, an enslaved ranger, organized approximately 400 rebels across several plantations. The two-day revolt involved battles with militia forces and the burning of cane fields. Although quickly suppressed—with Bussa killed and 144 rebels executed—the uprising exposed deep tensions within the colonial slave system and accelerated discussions about emancipation.