Postcard from Montserrat

Founded? Historical Highlights...

The island Montserrat, the Caribbean 'pear-shaped' underrated gem. Montserrat covers 39.5 square miles and lies between Nevis and Guadeloupe. It's beginning reminds me much of the United States. Montserrat was originally inhabited with Native Americans, and Carib Indians arrived later naming the island Alliouagana, 'Land of Prickley Bush'. When I compared Montserrat somewhat to the United States, I would have hoped you have seen this next part coming. That's right, our 'good friend' Mr. Christopher Columbus, stumbled upon Alliouagana, November 1493 and decided to name it Montserrat after the Abbey of Montserrat in Spain. Everything sounds all to familiar being that after he came across this island, Native Americans just... disappear from the rest of the history texts I've read to make this blog post... interesting. 

The Irish Catholics colonized Montserrat in 1632. Plantations were set up with over  to produce the usual, if you paid attention in history class all four years of high-school, you would know the ones I'm talking about. For those of you who do not: tobacco, indigo, cotton, and sugar. Montserrat's early settlers were repeatedly attacked by the French AND the Carib Indians (as they should, being that they were one of the 'originals').

Conquered?
Again? The French took possession of the island in 1664, and AGAIN, in 1668? Obviously, they were doing something wrong? The English obviously noticed and defeated the French; taking control of Montserrat, which explains the flag. The French did not finish there, and tried their hand at taking control of Montserrat once more, but because of the Treaty of Paris, it was returned to the English. 

Unfortunately, during the early settlements of the Irish, French, and English; slavery still played a huge part in the history of Montserrat. Slaves were brought from Africa in large. Slaves began to outnumber the white settlers. Once slavery was abolished, the plantations of Montserrat began to decline.  

Joseph Surge, leader of an antislavery movements, founded The Montserrat Company in 1857. With his company he bought abandoned estates, sold plots of land, etc. Because of his efforts, his contributions still cover much of the inhabited part of the island. 

Independence?

"1871 and 1956 Montserrat was of the British Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands, which included the British Virgin Islands and more." (Britannica). Universal suffrage (gives the right to vote to all adult citizens, regardless of wealth, income, gender, social status, race, ethnicity, or any other restriction, subject only to relatively minor exceptions) was declared in 1951, and a year later for the first time in Montserrat history, women voted for the first time. 

The federation was abolished on July 1, 1956. Montserrat became a colony in its own right!

Reflected in Today's Culture?

While doing research, many articles expressed that Irish culture is largely symbolic through Montserrat. Many of the other citizens are of African heritage (I know that right! Whoop, whoop). Irish symbols are represented through many aspects of Montserrat, like their emblem. As well as their food, apparently their main dish is inspired about by the Irish, called "goat water" stew... Aside from that there is African and Anglo-Irish elements that culture heavily overlay. 

In modern history, the daily life of a Montserrat citizen consist of foods made by native-grown vegetables and fruit. 

Fun fact: Montserrat government decided to avoid high-rise hotels and noisy nightclubs. They want it to be a 'model' of how Caribbean countries "used to be"... well if that does not sound... not sure, but it sounds fishy. 

Welp, this is nothing like me to have such a lengthy blog, but research about the cute little island Montserrat was interesting. Continue to do you Montserrat. This was fun.