Guadeloupe History Timeline

1400s - 1600s

(1493) Christopher Columbus discovered Guadeloupe during second expedition
(1635) French colonists established a settlement on the island
(1644) Sugar cane planted on Guadeloupe
(1650) First African slaves arrived
(1674) Guadeloupe became a possession of the French crown, a dependency of Martinique

1700s

(1703) English captured Fort St. Charles and Basse-Terre, disease and starvation forced withdrawal
(1759-1763) During the Seven Years War, British invaded Guadeloupe, plantations devastated; Guadeloupe surrendered to the British; British constructed a port at Pointe-a–Pitre, developed sugar plantations and imported about 18,000 slaves
(1762) Basse-Terre became seat of government and home of court of appeals
(1763) Treaty of Paris ended Seven Years War, Guadeloupe restored to French sovereignty
(1770) Coffee planting began, accelerated growth of slavery
(1775) Guadeloupe separated from Martinique, still under governor of the French Windward Islands; Guadeloupe became major exporter of cocoa
(1784) Trade permitted between Guadeloupe and citizens of the United States
(1787) Guadeloupe granted Colonial Assembly with taxation powers
(1794) French Convention abolished slavery
(1795) Guadeloupe became a French department
(1799) Constitution of Year VIII enacted, decreed that French colonies would be governed by special laws, Guadeloupe reverted to status of colony, lost representation in General Assembly

1800s

(1801) Decree of the Consuls stipulated that Guadeloupe would be governed by three magistrates: captain general, prefect and civil commissioner
(1802) French retook island, Napoleon reinstated slavery
(1809) British captured Basse-Terre
(1810) British occupied Guadeloupe
(1813) Guadeloupe ceded to Sweden, British occupation continued; Sweden outlawed slave trade
(1814) Treaty of Paris restored Guadeloupe to French sovereignty
(1815) British occupied Guadeloupe
(1816) Treaty of Vienna gave total control over Guadeloupe to French
(1825) Hurricane destroyed Basse-Terre
(1843) Pointe-a-Pitre virtually destroyed by earthquake, fire destroyed anything remaining; thousands killed
(1848) Slavery abolished
(1849) Emancipated slaves voted in elections for first time
(1854) First indentured servants arrived
(1871) Third Republic established, Guadeloupe granted elected representation in the National Assembly
(1897) Earthquake caused serious damage, economic crisis

1900s

(1904) Crisis in sugar market caused political and economic problems
(1921) East Indians granted right to vote
(1923) Guadeloupe exported its first bananas
(1925) Six workers killed during strike against sugar cane planters
(1928) Hurricane struck Pointe-a-Pitre, 2,000 people killed, 90% of homes were destroyed
(1940) U.S. imposed blockage on Guadeloupe's shipping routes, supplies could no longer reach the colony
(1941) "Fight against vagabondage" launched, all Guadeloupeans required to carry labor passbooks
(1940-43) Compulsory work program instituted by the Vichy government under Governor Sorin
(1946) Guadeloupe became an overseas department of France
(1958) Guadeloupe citizens choose to stay under France's wings
(1976) Volcano La Soufriere, erupted and caused considerable destruction, 70,000 people evacuated from capital city, Basse-Terre
(1995) Guadeloupe an observer in the Association of Caribbean States

2000s

(2001-2002) Guadeloupe experienced heavy drought
(2003) Voters in Guadeloupe and Martinique rejected reforms to the legislatures
(2004) Guadeloupe's leader conceded defeat in regional elections, conservative party out of power for first time in 12 years
(2005) Youths set up flaming tire barricades, threw rocks at policy in clashes caused by motorcycle crash at a police checkpoint
(2009) General strikes focused on low wages, high costs of living and social inequality, France bowed to demands for wage increases; police detained about 50 people who threw stones as police tried to remove barricades; rioters manning barricades killed Jacques Bino, a tax agent and union member