Sokah2Soca extends a hearty congratulations to the people of Trinidad and Tobago on their 59th year of Independence from the British Monarchy. This is a day to celebrate the achievements of the people and the country as a whole; may God bless our nation!
There is much to be proud of, Calypso, Steelband, Limbo, Sokah to Soca music, our much-copied carnival celebrations, and on and on. However, it dawned on us that many citizens can't provide a historical timeline of important dates of the Twin Island Republic. As a result, we sought out and located a site with just the right amount of information.
We reprint it here (from Angelfire.com) to share with our readers on this celebratory day: Important Dates In the History of Trinidad and Tobago.
I was surprised to learn that "Tobago joined in a Political Union with Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Grenada". Santi did not know that fact! It always pays to learn, to want to know more and like today, something new comes along... it is a beautiful thing!
TRINIDAD
- 1498. Christopher Columbus, on his fourth voyage, landed on the south of the island and called the Island La Trinité because of the three mountain peaks he sighted on the southern range.
- 1688. Spain abolished slavery among the aboriginal Indians but later introduced Negro slaves.
- 1783. By Royal Proclamation, large numbers of Catholics were offered special privileges to migrate to Trinidad. Many French families took advantage of this proclamation especially so after the French Revolution.
- 1797. The Spanish Government in Trinidad surrendered to the British.
- 1802. Spain ceded Trinidad to the British Crown by the Treaty of Amiens.
- 1831. The First Executive Council set up. This was the forerunner to a Legislative Council.
- 1838. Abolition of Slavery.
- 1845. Large-scale immigration of citizens from China, India, and Madeira started. Over 150,000 immigrants entered the Colony of Trinidad between 1845 and 1917.
TOBAGO.
- 1498. Tobago was inhabited by Caribs.
- 1628. Dutchmen (Courlanders) from Europe started a settlement. They landed at what is still known as Cortland Bay.
- 1666. In came the British and captured the settlement from the Dutch.
- 1667-1684. There were several wars between the British French and the Dutch. The island changed hands during a continuous state of War.
- 1684. The island was declared neutral and all nations were permitted to settle.
- 1763. By the Treaty of Paris, England's claim was guaranteed.
- 1768. The First meeting of the House of Assembly and Legislative Council was held.
- 1770. Sugar exported for the first time.
- 1773. A U.S.A fleet attempted to capture the island was stopped by the British.
- 1781. The French defeated the British after a long battle on land and sea.
- 1793. Re-taken by the British.
- 1802. Tobago was ceded to France by the Treaty of Amiens.
- 1803. Captured by the British.
- 1814. Ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris.
- 1831. Tobago joined in a Political Union with Barbados, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Grenada.
- 1876. Tobago became a Crown Colony. Legislative Council abolished.
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO.
- 1889. Tobago incorporated with Trinidad to form the Colony of Trinidad and Tobago.
- 1899. Tobago was established as a Ward of Trinidad.
- 1925. Elected element introduced into the Legislative Council.
- 1940. Areas of Trinidad leased to the U.S.A to set up Air, Naval, and Army bases during WW2
- 1946. Adult suffrage was introduced.
- 1950. A new Constitution was introduced that provided for elected members to the legislative council; the introduction of the ministerial system started.
- 1958. Federal Elections were held. A Federation of the West Indies was inaugurated.
- 1961. The Federation of the West Indies dissolved.
- 1962. Trinidad and Tobago became Independent on the 31st. Of August.
- 1974. The Chaguaramas Declaration signed creating the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).
- 1976. Trinidad and Tobago become a Republic on 24th. September and remains within the Commonwealth.
The information presented here was sourced from Angelfire at the following link: Trinidad & Tobago historical timeline.
This post does not attempt to deal with any of our cultural achievements. However, much of that information can be sourced using the menu system above. Seek and you shall be rewarded. At the bottom of this post, we have included a playlist of important Independence Calypso Classics for your listening pleasure, and then something extra special! The playlist was done for last year's Independence celebrations but will remain relevant for many more Independence Day celebrations to come. Happy Independence Day my dear people of Trinidad & Tobago.
Our goal is to help promote the music and culture of our Caribbean artists. The singers, musicians, producers, songwriters, and all those involved in the creative process. Together we can promote and spread the culture by sharing these posts on all Social media platforms. We are on Facebook; Twitter; Youtube; Instagram and Soundcloud. All our posts are available on Feedburner/Feeds, and via Email Subscription: Get Sokah2Soca delivered by Email; Thank you in advance.
Please be advised that the music is presented here for your listening pleasure and for promotional purposes only ("Fair Use" Musical Content Copyright Disclaimer Under Section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976). No copyright infringement is intended! We don't own the rights to this music: and, it is presented here for promotional use only. We encourage you to promote the artists and their music; please don't download and share the music and rob the artists of needed income! Music for sale should be purchased while music distributed for promotional purposes should be treated as such and not shared!
♫Please press the music player button below to listen now (small triangle in the Music player/TV Frame).
Now that we have our fill of some of the best Independence Calypso classics, we need to update you on the new style of music. One thing all Trinis know is that foreigners 'love the way Trini talk' (Benjai eh go mind); and, for that reason, we select "Trini Lingo" by the Ragga Soca master, Bunji Garlin.