Nevis, 1628-1814



Nevis was discovered by Christopher Columbus in 1493. It was settled by English settlers from St. Kitts (St. Christopher) in 1628. In 1671, St. Kitts, Nevis, Antigua, Barbuda and Montserrat were joined to form the LEEWARD CARIBBEE ISLANDS GOVERNMENT.
The island's economy was initially based on tobacco plantations. Sugar cane plantations were begun by refugees arriving from Dutch Brazil after it was taken by the Portuguese. To work the plantations, African slaves were brought in. Sugar production increased in the 18th century. Seat of administration Charlestown. No governor, administration headed by president of the council assembly consisting of 15 members (Edwards, 1819).
1819 population : not over 600 whites, c. 10,000 blacks, "a disproportion which necessarily converts all such white men as not exempted ny age or decrepitude, into a well-regulated militia." (Edwards, 1819). The white population, in 1640, is said to have been 4,000.









EXTERNAL
FILES 		From Island Connoisseur : History of St. Kitts and Nevis, Charlestown
St. Kitts and Nevis History Page
DOCUMENTS Historical Records, from the St. Kitts and Nevis History Page (PRO document files directory)
REFERENCE Jan Rogozinski, A Brief History of the Caribbean (1992) London : Penguin 1994
Bryan Edwards, The History, Civil and Commercial, of the British West Indies, Vol.1-5 (London 1819) NY : AMS Press 1966; Nevis Vol.1 pp.468-473



This page is part of World History at KMLA
First posted in 2001, last revised on November 6th 2004

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