History of Anguilla

Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, the island of Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis.

St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla was granted self-government by Britain on 27 February 1967. On 30 May Anguilla evicted the St. Kitts police and on 11 July 1967 a referendum on secession was held. The results were 1813 votes for secession and 5 against. A separate legislative council was immediately established. For a brief while, Anguilla became a republic. It had two presidents in its short tenure, including Ronald Webster, who later headed the government several times. There were suggestions that the island should join either the United States or Canada.

In December 1967, two members of Britain's Parliament worked out an interim agreement by which for one year a British official would exercise basic administrative authority along with the Anguilla Council. Tony Lee took the position in January 1968, but at the end of the term no agreement had been reached.

Anguilla held a second referendum resulting in a vote of 1,739 to 4 against returning to association with St Kitts. At this point Anguilla declared itself an Independent Republic.

A new British envoy, William Whitlock, arrived on 11 March 1969 with a proposal for a new interim British administration. He was quickly expelled. On 19 March a contingent of British "Red Devil" Brigade paratroops, plus 40 London police officers, peacefully landed on the island, ostensibly to “restore order”. That fall the troops left and Army engineers were brought in to improve the public works.

Tony Lee returned as Commissioner and in 1971 worked out another “interim agreement” with the islanders. Effectively Anguilla was allowed to secede from Saint Kitts and Nevis; however it was not until 19 December 1980 that Anguilla formally disassociated itself from St Kitts to become a separate British dependency, which it remains today.

External links

• Rulers.org — Anguilla list of rulers for Anguila

See also

• History of the Caribbean
• History of the Americas
• History of present-day nations and states