The Impact of European Colonialism in Turks and Caicos

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Turks and Caicos was first inhabited around 700 AD by people called Amerindians. Amerindians came from Hispaniola (Haiti and The Dominican Republic). Approximately 300 years after it was thought that the inhabitants created their own culture. Explorers found that this was true by looking at the inhabitants own unique pottery making styles. The islands of Turks and Caicos were governed by the British indirectly through Bermuda, the Bahamas, and Jamaica, this made the Turks and Caicos Islands part of Bahamas/Bahamian Archipelago. The people who inhabit the Bahamian islands/ Bahamian archipelago are known a Lucayans. (Wikipedia)

In 1512 Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de León was the first European to sight the islands of Turks and Caicos. However, many historians also believe that Christopher Columbus could have sighted the islands on his 1492 voyage around the world. There was and still is a big debate in whether Juan Ponce de León first sighted the island or if Christopher Columbus first sighted the islands. In the 1600’s Spanish slavers would frequently raid the Turks and Caicos islands, enslaving the Lucayans that lived there, this depopulated the entire Bahamian archipelago. This was because nobody had ever heard about the islands of Turks and Caicos until the big debated started on who originally sighted the islands. (Wikipedia)

Bermuda and Bahamas spent most of the 18th century in a legal conflict because of the Turks and Caicos Islands. According to British law no colonies could have colonies of its own, Turks and Caicos was not recognized by Britain as a part of Bermuda or a colony of its own right. The island is seen to be like the rivers in Britain, for the common public use. As a result, this created a lot of polit...

... middle of paper ...

...ng term effect. However, all of the things I discussed are immediate and long term effects.

Bibliography

Geographia. Turks and Caicos- History. 3 May 2011 .

Incoperated, Mahalo.com. Michael Misick. 2007-2011. 4 May 2011 .

Press, Bahamas. Turks & Caicos Premier Michael Misick Resigns! 14 February 2009. 4 May 2011 .

Software, Sheppard. Turks and Caicos. 26 April 2011 .

Wikipedia. History of the Turks and Caicos Islands. 4 April 2011. 25 April 2011 .

—. Michael Misick. 12 April 2011. 4 May 2011 .

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