Grenada
The Spice Island...
Known as "The Spice of the Caribbean," this luscious, verdant island with its mountains, rain forests, and miles of sandy beaches has long enticed visitors with the sweet scents of nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger and vanilla wafting on the balmy breeze. In fact, there are more spices in Grenada per square mile than anywhere else on the planet. Nutmeg is the most abundant spice, and Grenada produces about a third of the world’s supply.
Grenada’s capital, St. George’s, is known as the most picturesque city in the Caribbean. Its horseshoe-shaped harbour is surrounded by a pastel rainbow of dockside warehouses and the red-tiled roofs of traditional shops and homes. Rich in English, French and West Indian history, St. George’s is filled with beautiful well-preserved examples of French and British Colonial architecture.
History & Culture
On his third voyage to the New World in 1498, Columbus passed by and named the island Concepcion. The island was already inhabited by the Carib Indians, who had migrated from the South American mainland, killing or enslaving the peaceful Arawaks who where already inhabitants there. In 1609 the British tried a settlement attempt but were chased off by the cannibalistic Caribs. Then in 1650, a French expedition had some initial success settling in, but hostilities erupted with the Indians as the French tried to extend their control over the entire island. Following a series of losing battles, the Caribs were eventually beaten. The final clash took place in northern Grenada at Le Morne des Sauteurs. It was here at Leaper’s Hill that the Caribs, rather than submit to the questionable benefits of European colonization, threw themselves over the edge of the cliffs to the rocks below.
Over the next century, Grenada’s fortunes followed the political power struggles of the European powers, with Britain and France exchanging possession of the island. Finally in 1783, the Treaty of Versailles awarded Grenada to Britain, but the French heritage lives on in many of the geographical names and in the African-French patois still spoken by many. In 1877 Grenada became a crown colony and in 1967, became an associated state within the British Commonwealth. With this, the island nation gained control of its internal affairs, while the government of Britain continued to control external matters. Complete independence was achieved in 1974 under the leadership of the late Sir Eric Gairy, who became the first Prime Minister of Grenada.
While Gairy was away from the island in 1979, his key political opponent, the late Maurice Bishop, seized control of the government. An avowed radical, Bishop set about establishing strong ties to the Soviet Union and Cuba. Then, in 1983, a faction within Bishop’s New Jewel Movement placed Bishop under house arrest and took control of Grenada. Bishop and several aides were eventually executed. All this turmoil and the purported threat to U.S. medical students stranded on the island, served as the catalyst for the famed "rescue mission" by U.S. forces a short time later. The overwhelming support for the action by the Grenadian population was evident from the start and has barely subsided today. In late 1984, the late Herbert Blaize was elected Prime Minister of Grenada in its first free elections since the incident. As a result of substantial U.S. aid, the government is well on its way to rebuilding the island’s reputation as an agricultural force, with light manufacturing and tourism to round out its economic base.
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