A Brief History of Anguilla

This little island, barely as large as the city of Washington DC, has a rich heritage that dates back 3500 years ago when the first Amerindians settled here. The first settlers, the Arawak Indians, were eventually routed by the Carib Indians, who called the island Malliouhana. Early Spanish explorers named the island Anguilla, which means 'eel', because of its elongated shape.

Anguilla became a British colony in 1650 and despite attempts by the French to grab a piece of the island, it has remained a British colony ever since. In 1967, Britain tried to sever ties by encouraging an alignment with the islands of St Kitts and Nevis, the nearest British dependencies, to form a new Caribbean nation. Anguillians revolted because they saw this as subjugation to St. Kitts, their more powerful neighbor. A comical crisis occurred when the British, fearing potential violence, rushed marines into the island. The Anguillians, who wanted to be ruled by the British, greeted the troops joyously!

Finally, the Anguillians got their way. The British decided to continue administering the island under a modified colonial status that gave Anguilla a greater degree of home rule. The islands became a ‘state in association’ with the UK until 1980, when it was granted the status of a British Dependent Territory.