History of Mero

interesting things about the eventual European takeover of Dominica is that, unlike on many other islands, the native Caribs still live on the island today. However, struggles with the British did wipe out large numbers of the tribe. In 2003, Dominica celebrated the 100 year anniversary of the establishment of the Carib Reserve.

The Earl of Carlisle claimed this tiny island almost two centuries after Columbus named it Dominica. This 1627 claim was theoretical only, and the island remained untouched. Prior to this claim, Captain John Smith and his ship stopped in at Portsmouth in 1607 on their way to establish Jamestown, the first North American colony. The British briefly moved to settle Portsmouth, but disease kept the settlement from taking hold.

Just a few years after the Earl's claim on Dominica, France claimed the island as well. Though the two powers squabbled over the land, a 1660 treaty left the island once again in the hands of the Caribs. However, this didn't stop French settlers from nearby French possessions from claiming land on the island and bringing slaves to work it.

The French reestablished control of the island in the 1720s. The British recaptured the island in 1759, and the 1763 Treaty of Paris officially ceded Dominica from French control to British hands. The French made two other efforts to reclaim Dominica, one which resulted in the burning of the city Roseau to the ground. The Treaty of Versailles once again granted the British control in 1783 and, despite French efforts, the island was peacefully left in British hands in the early 1800s.

Dominica has a long history with many different governing bodies. The government of many of the British West Indies was shared throughout much of their histories. The first was the Government of Grenada, established in 1763, which included the