The Turks & Caicos are a group of islands in the West Indies. They are nowadays known as a financial center and tourist hot spot but this hasn't always been the case. The islands are currently suspended as a self governing state of the British Empire, as there have been recent allegations of ministerial corruption. But has there been a past of corruption or has it been a different story? The Turks & Caicos history should shed some light on this.

Early Inhabitants

The Turks & Caicos history gets off to a rather familiar start to those who may be familiar with the history of other Caribbean nations. The first settlers were Amerindians known as Arawaks. These were replaced by the impressively fierce Carib tribes who took over almost all of the Caribbean islands before European Settlement.

Bermudans were the first to settle on the Turks & Caicos and opened the island up for their cotton trade. This lasted for the best part of a century. The island takeover was the only military action ever taken by Bermuda. The Bermudans brought themselves down as far as this island is concerned over government and tax issues before the Europeans came along to ruin their party.

European Colonization

On the subject of Europeans, the first European discovery of the Turks & Caicos came in 1512 by a Spanish inquisitor. He claimed the islands for Spain but nobody managed to settle on the islands for some time after. The Spanish, British and French all had a go at settling on the islands but they all failed.

Pirates eventually became more interested in the islands as they made great hideouts in the 18th century. After the American Revolution in 1783, the islands were joined to the Bahamas under British control. The Turks & Caicos history was taking a similar route to that of other Caribbean islands, in an economic sense, as the main industry was the plantation culture.

The Turks & Caicos Independence

Until 1848, the islands were still a part of the Bahamas but a successful petition established the Turks & Caicos as a separate colony. Financially, this was not a viable option after all and the islands were later annexed to Jamaica in 1873. They became a dependency of Jamaica until they were afforded their own governor in 1959. 1962 was an important year in the Turks & Caicos history as this is the year they became independent of the United Kingdom, thus becoming a crown colony.

Economic Development in Turks & Caicos History

The salt industry was one that was just enough to keep the islands going and they became more and more reliant upon American investment. The first hotel and airstrip were both built by American investors. The People's Democratic Movement was the party behind the movement for freedom and they were re-elected as a result of this being a popular policy for the islanders. They later lost an election to the Progressive National Party who were in favor of greater British rule. There was further controversy when it emerged that the ultimate goal in all of these elections was independence but this wasn't taken any further.

Recent Turks & Caicos history is tainted with corruption and it is currently under British control, whilst the political system sorts itself out. The Islands of the Turks & Caicos have certainly had their fair share of political changes and stability was a hard thing to come by.

Despite the political turmoil, the people of the Turks & Caicos have made tourism a booming industry. This country is known worldwide for its long stretches of uncrowded beaches and coral reefs. Visitors can also enjoy world class hotels and top notch five star restaurants.