On April 5, 1848, amid a wider economic crisis following emancipation, two Barbadian sugar plantations—Springhead and Tate’s—were listed for auction in Liverpool after their owners declared bankruptcy. Rising labour costs, falling sugar prices, and global competition had made many Caribbean plantations unsustainable, exposing their vulnerability to financial shocks in Britain. The sale reflected a broader pattern of foreclosures and land consolidation across Barbados. Beyond its economic significance, Springhead holds deeper historical value, as the site of Barbados’ only known Amerindian petroglyphs, linking the island’s pre-colonial past to its plantation history.
This Today in Bajan History segment reflects on two maritime incidents reported in the Barbados Advocate on February 7th 1950, highlighting the risks and...
Hello, I'm Alan Cobley, Emeritus Professor of History at the University of the West Indies, Cave Hill campus. On this day, November the 4th,...
The Barbados Advocate reported concerns raised by Pine Primary School principal Elliot Norville about what he saw as growing moral decay in Barbadian society....