Moreover, Queen Isabella of Spain authorised four other voyages to the New World in 1499. [11] In regards to independence, of the six dependent territories, the Cayman Islands were the most opposed because it lacked the natural resources needed.
Overfishing nearly extinguished the turtles from the local waters. In the past few decades the changes in Cayman have been dramatic: the Islands have gone from a subsistence economy in the 1950s to enjoying the highest standard of living in the Caribbean today. The majority of the population are expat workers from Jamaica, Philippines & Honduras and from other Latin American countries as well as Canada, USA, India, South Africa, and England. Above the shield is a green turtle on a coil of rope.
According to historian Edward Long the inhabitants on Grand Cayman had the principal occupation of turtle-fishery. "- Honourable McKeeva Bush, OBE, JP. Starting in 1959 the chief official overseeing the day-to-day affairs of the islands (for the Governor) was the Administrator.
Often these objects did not look like other vessels. History. In 1953 the first airfield in the Cayman Islands was opened as well as the George Town Public hospital. A convoy of more than 58 merchantmen sailing from Jamaica to England found itself dangerously close to the reef on the east end of Grand Cayman. He made a note in the margin, marking the population at 400 – half free and half slaves. And, as you would expect, the customs we hold in the highest regard come from our maritime past, right up to the catboat races we host every year. [16], Local residents of the Cayman Islands resisted the stationing of troops of the West India Regiments. The Cayman Islands’ coat of arms consists of a shield, a crested helm and the motto. Barclays ushered in the age of formalised commerce by opening the first commercial bank.
The Cabinet, chaired by the Governor, consists of five ministers elected by and from within the elected membership of the Legislature, and two appointed civil servants. It was then that Columbus first happened upon two islands that he would name “Las Tortugas” for the many turtles residing there. On 8 February 1794, an event occurred which grew into one of Cayman's favourite legends -- The Wreck of the Ten Sail. The National Team were returned to office but with a reduced majority, winning 9 seats.
Things changed quite abruptly in the 1950s: 1953 saw the opening of Grand Cayman’s first airfield, the first hospital and the first commercial bank – Barclays Bank. By 1800, the total Cayman Islands population was less than 1,000. Apply now to become a Global Citizen and trade in your WFH routine for sun, sand, sea and safety in Cayman for up to two years. It is about 10 miles (16 km) long with an average width of 1 mile (2 km) and most of the island is undeveloped. Many residents simply were unable to rebuild, and abandoned the damaged structures. Archaeological studies of Grand Cayman have found no evidence that humans occupied the islands prior to the sixteenth century.
After the elections, Mr. Jefferson was appointed Minister and leader of government business; he also held the portfolios of Tourism, Aviation and Commerce in the Executive Council. Edward Teach, better known as Blackbeard, was a notorious pirate who operated in the waters around the Cayman Islands. A more realistic explanation is probably the fact that up until the middle of the 20th century, most of the population was engaged in subsistence farming, fishing or worked as merchant seamen on foreign ships. England took formal control of Cayman, along with Jamaica, under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670 [10] after the first settlers came from Jamaica in 1661-71 to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.
The capital city is George Town on Grand Cayman, which is the most populous of the three islands. However, tourism did not really take off until the 1950s when a number of hotels were opened and Grand Cayman’s first airfield was built in 1953, replacing the seaplane service that had operated in North Sound since the 1940s. At first the Spaniards named the islands Las Tortugas because of the many turtles in the surrounding waters, but by 1530 they were known as the Caimanas or Caymanes for the alligators (caimánes) reported to be native there. 8,000) were Jamaicans (with the next largest expatriate communities coming from the United States, United Kingdom and Canada). Over fishing in the area by the sailors had drastically reduced the turtle population in the waters.
Christopher Columbus was the first explorer to record seeing the Cayman Islands in 1503. Before slavery was abolished in 1834, there were over 950 slaves owned by 116 families.
There remain housing issues for many of the residents as of late 2005, with some buildings still lying derelict due to insurance claims as of 2013, feasibility, new regulations and building codes. Another factor in the slow development of the Cayman Islands was the vast number of mosquitoes that bred in the swamps. There are even accounts of cattle being suffocated by swarms of mosquitoes blocking their nostrils. Learn about the history of the Cayman Islands from the initial settlement to the current modernisation.
Annie Huldah Bodden OBE was a Caymanian civil servant, lawyer, and politician.
Often in breach of the treaty, British privateers roamed the area taking their prizes, probably using the Cayman Islands to replenish stocks of food and water and careen their vessels. The term British West Indies refers to the former English and British colonies and the present-day overseas territories of the United Kingdom in the Caribbean. Learn about purchasing real estate in the Cayman Islands, including mortgages & borrowing, home insurance, importing furnishings and associated costs.
The company had re-leased estimates covering 20% damage to be re-insured at minimal fees when in fact the damage was over 65% and every claim was in the millions.
Read on to learn about the illustrious history of Cayman’s early settlers, who were hardy, ingenious and self sufficient.
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Bodden Town has a population of 16,325. [4] The first recorded permanent inhabitant of the Cayman Islands, Isaac Bodden, was born on Grand Cayman around 1700. By the time of emancipation, slaves outnumbered that of freemen on Grand Cayman. In the 1700s, permanent settlement of Grand Cayman began with a few families, most notably the Boddens. However, the overwhelming majority, more than 450 people, were successfully rescued. As of 1 October 2020, the Cayman Islands commenced the phased opening approach of its international borders. The Cayman Islands were not the only smaller British territory that was reluctant in regards to gaining independence.
The name “Caimanas” evolved into Cayman, and we’ve been calling our islands that ever since. Fortis Inc., a Canadian-owned utility company, sent a team down to Grand Cayman to assist the local power company, CUC, with restoration. In 1835, Governor Sligo of Jamaica landed in Cayman to declare all slaves free, in accordance with the Emancipation Act of 1833. In place of the Federation of the West Indies, a constitution was created that allowed for the continuation of formal ties with London. Click here to learn about Weather in the Cayman Islands.
We also have a rich heritage of rope making, with strands braided from our national tree, the Silver Thatch Palm.
They survived on farming and trading turtle meat with passing ships. Cayman Islands’ tourism began during the 1950s and has been an important part of the economy ever since. Experience the top attractions in the Cayman Islands and explore sights and landmarks less travelled with our local guide. The next European explorer to discover the Cayman Islands, Sir Francis Drake, arrived in 1585 and gave the islands their present name after the 10-foot crocodiles called caymanas who roamed across these deserted lands.
In 1937, the first cruise ship, the ‘Atlantis’, visited the Cayman Islands and the beginnings of tourism commenced with the publication of the first tourist booklet. With its head office in Grand Cayman, it operates mainly as an international and domestic scheduled passenger carrier, with cargo services available on most routes. History of the Cayman Islands Only during the last decade, have serious attempts been made to document a comprehensive and authoritative history of these islands throughout the past 300 years. Grand Cayman is the largest of the three Cayman Islands and the location of the territory's capital, George Town. Explore the many things we have to offer. In 1773, the first survey or “map” of Cayman was drawn by the Royal Navy. The first census of the Islands was taken in 1802, showing a population on Grand Cayman of 933, of whom 545 were slaves. There is no evidence of any human habitation prior to Christopher Columbus’ first voyage to Little Cayman and Cayman Brac in 1503.
[12] The people had concerns about their economic viability if the country was to become independent. In response to the Abolition Act 1807, the Slave Registration 1817, and the Emancipation Act of 1834 slaveowners organized resistance efforts against the authorities in Jamaica. In 1774, George Gauld estimated that approximately four hundred people lived on Grand Cayman; half the inhabitants were free while the other half were constituted slaves. ", A 1523 map show all three Islands with the name Lagartos, meaning alligators or large lizards, but by 1530 the name Caymanas was being used. Cotton growing, fruit farmers, and sea tortoise export were the primary industries during the early 19th century. Jamaica was an English colony from 1655 or 1670, and a British Colony from 1707 until 1962, when it became independent. The Islands remained uninhabited, populated only by turtles, alligators and lizards, until the 1660s. Subsequently, the Jamaican governor ratified a legislature consisting of eight magistrates appointed by the Governor of Jamaica and 10 (later increased to 27) elected representatives.
The Cayman Islands are a British Overseas Territory consisting of 3 islands in the western Caribbean Sea. In relation to the other two Cayman Islands, it is approximately 75 miles (121 km) southwest of Little Cayman and 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Cayman Brac. The Cayman Islands is an autonomous British Overseas Territory in the western Caribbean Sea. Once Caymanian turtlers greatly reduced the turtle population around the islands they journeyed to the waters of other islands in order to maintain their livelihood.