A
short history of Tobago
Tobago was originally inhabited by the Carib people who moved to the island
more than 2,500 years ago. Research is still being carried out into the type
of society the Caribs had established and you may be lucky enough to see archaeological
work in progress.
As ‘Hunter Gatherers’ these people were semi nomadic and left
no permanent buildings but evidence has been found at a series of sites which
has revealed that they had a developed society.
The British thought that they discovered the island in 1508! However, Christobal
Colon or Christopher Columbus to most of us was the first European to set
foot on the island (in 1498).
Tobago has been claimed by many countries, Britain or to be exact England,
France, Spain and even the Americans invaded during their war of independence
and held the island for a year, with the odd Dutch interval but it was ultimately
relinquished to Britain in 1814. Pirates settled on the island as well. You
can still see the latter’s influence by names like Bloody Bay and Pirate’s
Bay.
The two islands Trinidad and Tobago became independent on August 31st, 1962
and on August 1st, 1976 they became a republic.
The population of the island is around 60,000 of which the largest proportion
is of African origin descendants of slaves and indentured labourers brought
to Tobago to work the plantations. There are also large Asian & Ethnic
Chinese communities mostly descendents of indentured labour brought in the
19th century by tobacco and sugar growers. All of this makes for a very interesting
local cuisine.
