Sir Christopher Codrington (English), established the first permanent British
settlement of Antigua in 1683. The island rapidly developed as a profitable
sugar colony. Antigua (Waladli or Wadadli by the native population) was
considered Britain's "Gateway to the Caribbean". Sugar became Antigua's main
crop in about 1674, when Christopher Codrington (c. 1640-1698) settled at
Betty's Hope sugar plantation. Slaves were imported to work the sugar cane
crops.
In 1729, a man named Hercules was hanged, drawn, and quartered and three
others were burnt alive, for conspiring to kill the slave owner Crump and
his family. Black slave Prince Klaas (Court), was proof of an attempt by
the slaves of Antigua to rebel. An elaborate conspiracy of a slave
rebellion by Prince Klaas and his 87 followers was discovered. He was
convicted of organizing the rebellion on Antigua in 1736. The planters who
uncovered the plot, and who executed Klaas and 87 of his followers,
believed it had as its object the massacre of all 3,800 whites on the
island.
To get an idea of what the sugar plantations were like,
Click here.
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