History
From Upheaval to Tranquility, a Tale of the Salt King
The history of the Turks and Caicos, affectionately known as TCI, reads like an adventure novel combining elements of Louise and Clark, Amistad and Blackbeard’s Ghost with a whole lot of Hemingway wrapped up in soft Maya Angelou verse. The culture of TCI is Caribbean— a rich blend of Old Spain, early native Caribbean, Africana and British colonization. Elements of each can be seen in the ornate and pragmatic architecture, savored in the spicy yet succulent cuisine, and viewed in the elaborate colors of their fabrics that blend together as vibrantly as their people.
The first known inhabitants of the islands were Taino and Lucayne Indians, who are relatives of the Amerindians from Puerto Rico. After the arrival of Columbus and the Conquistadors, the native islanders were either forced into slavery or perished from the Old World diseases passed on from the new settlers. Before then, though, the New World natives had begun foresting the bays for shellfish and harvesting salt, both of which became sources of revenue for imperial states. In fact, Salt Cay in the Turks became known as the “salt capitol of the world.”
Shortly after the departure of Columbus and the Lucayans and Tainos, several hundred years of pirate occupation and battles for island possession by the Spanish, French and British, the country never gained their own independence or government. It wasn’t until around the turn of the 19th Century that Britain permanently seized control over TCI and immediately ceded authority to Bermuda. Freedom was eventually granted to TCI slaves by the British in 1834, and in 1873 the British give the colony its independence. However, with no indigenous government and social services, the British appointed TCI as a dependent of the British Colony, Jamaica, in 1874. It wasn’t until after Bermuda and Jamaica gained their independences from Britain that TCI finally became an independent crown colony of Britain in 1962. This status stands today.
After a couple major hurricanes and a severe shortage of employment, the past few decades saw many TCI residents fleeing the islands. Over the past couple decades, however, many of the TCI descendants plus new migrations from foreign investors and celebrities have re-inhabited the once desolate islands making the little colony the fastest growing economy in the Caribbean.
Interestingly, Canada has had the most connection with TCI, recently, causing the Canadians to debate, on-and-off, offering TCI territorial status. Whoever has the pleasure of claiming the Turks and Caicos as their own, the Caribbean has a true gem with this tranquil traveler’s delight.
