Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Independence Day – October 27, 2024

History of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Independence Day

Saint Vincent and the Grenadines is the last Windward Island to gain its independence from the United Kingdom on October 27, 1979, following a referendum that granted it full autonomy. Since then, October 27 has become a public holiday on the island. The island nation’s wealth largely depends on the activities of La Soufrière — a volcano that first erupted in 1718, causing numerous harmful effects.

Christopher Columbus discovered the island On January 22, 1498. His discovery marked the island’s first contact with Europeans. The island got its name from the French saint, St. Vincent de Paul, who was mainly recognized for his charity and compassion for the poor. For centuries, the British, Spanish, and French disputed over who had colonial claims over the island. Notwithstanding, the Caribbean settlers on the island resisted all the three colonists for as long as they could. In 1783, the Treaty of Versailles convicted the French, who had earlier occupied the island in 1779, to hand it over to the British. The British established a plantation economy on the island, particularly due to the earlier influx of Africans into the island in the 17th century.

In 1962, the Federation of East Indians, to which Saint Vincent and the Grenadines belonged, was dissolved, and the transition to independence beside the larger Caribbean islands began. In 1969, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines was granted statehood by the British, giving them sovereignty over their internal affairs but still under the British colony. Finally, on October 27, 1979, Queen Elizabeth II granted Saint Vincent and the Grenadines their independence.