Caribbean History Timeline 1850s-2000

1857
Planters on Cuba want Spain to pay to free the slaves
1858
Dutch official church involved in the abolition movement
1860
The Vatican recognizes Haiti
1863
Slavery abolished on Dutch islands
1865
African and Chinese immigrants came to the Caribbean
Morant Bay Rebellion in Jamaica spurs Britain to greater island control
Cuba’s reformists petitioned for change
Danish push to sell Virgin Islands to the U.S.
1867
New Spanish government imposes harsh laws on Cuba
Danish approve sale of Virgin Islands to the U.S.
1868
Revolt of Yara on Cuba called for Cuban independence, began Ten Years’ War.
Revolt of Lares in Puerto Rico challenged Spanish control briefly.
1869 
British government attempts a federation of Leeward Caribbean islands.
1871
British government creates a federation to unite Leeward colonies.
All adult males could vote on French islands.
1873
Abolition of the 1849 labor laws in Puerto Rico.
Puerto Rican slaves freed and owners compensated by Spain.
1874
Spanish civil war ends and Spain sends troops to Cuba
Dictator Saget became first Haitian president to serve his term and retire
1876
Federation to join Barbados and Windwards, but riot breaks out on Barbados
1878 
Pact of Zanjon with General Campos
Full emancipation granted on Danish islands
1880
Spain issues abolition without compensation in Cuba, patrionato follows
1882
St. Kitts and Nevis joined
Heurueax takes power in Dominican Republic
1886
Grenada, St. Vincent, St. Lucia, and Tobago are joined to one group
1889
Trinidad and Tobago joined
1895 
American-owned Santo Domingo Improvement Co. comes to restore Spanish Hispaniola
1896
Captain-general Valeriano Weyler arrives and forces peasants into concentration camps on Cuba
1898
All British islands are crown colonies
U.S. President McKinley steps between Cuba and Spain
Treaty of Paris cedes Puerto Rico and Guam to the U.S.
1900
First election on Cuba, held by the U.S.
Foraker Act put in place for Puerto Rico
1901
Platt Amendment added to Cuba
1902
Tomás Estrada Palma becomes first President of Cuba
1906
Ramón Cáceres became Dominican Republic president
U.S. troops sent to Cuba after uprising by José Miguel Gómez
Resignation by Estrada and his Vice President
1911
Cáceres assassinated
1915
U.S. occupation of Haiti begins
1916
U.S. occupation of the Dominican Republic begins
1917
Negotiations finish for sale of Danish Virgin Islands to the U.S. (Creates US Virgin Islands)
Jones Act provides for Puerto Rico’s government
U.S. troops sent to Cuba
1924
Gerardo Machado y Morales becomes Cuba’s President, later dictator
1927
Trujillo given command of the Dominican national guard
Citizens of the U.S. Virgin Islands given U.S. citizenship
1928
National guard in the Dominican Republic becomes the army
1930
Trujillo takes control in the Dominican Republic after the U.S. leaves
Hurricane hits the Dominican Republic
1931
Trujillo became dictator in the Dominican Republic
The Department of the Interior gains control of the U.S. Virgin Islands
1933
U.S. leaves Haiti and political struggles begin
U.S. forces resignation of Cuba’s President Machado
Sergeant Fulgencio Batista y Zalvidar takes control in Cuba
1934
Batista forces Cuba’s President Grau to resign and names Carlos Mendieta president
Roosevelt and U.S. recognize Batista’s government
Platt Amendement annulled but maintain U.S. naval base
1940
Batista elected in an honest election in Cuba with new constitution
1945
Guadeloupe (incl. St. Barthelemy and St. Martin) and Martinique given full political
union with France
1947
Jones Law amended; Puerto Rico may elect its own governor
Industrial Incentive Act of 1947 encourages industry in Puerto Rico
1948
Luis Muñoz Marín becomes Puerto Rico’s first governor
Netherlands Antilles grant full adult suffrage
1950 
Public Law 600 allows Puerto Rico to create its own constitution
Netherlands Antilles given internal self-government
1952
Puerto Rico becomes a commonwealth of the U.S.
Batista leads a second coup and takes leadership in Cuba
1953
Fidel Castro leads a revolt against Batista in Cuba
1954
Statute of the Realm rules the Netherlands Antilles
1955
First tourist hotel built on Sint Maarten
1956
British Leeward Islands Federation crumbles
1957
François Duvalier, “Papa Doc” won the presidency in Haiti, became a dictator
1958
British create West Indies Federation
British Virgin Islands do not join new federation
1959
Batista leaves Cuba with much of its treasury
Fidel Castro takes leadership in Cuba, begins taking control of businesses
1960
Rioting on Martinique over lack of island authority
1961
Trujillo assassinated
Bay of Pigs invasion on Cuba
Castro declares his communist intent for Cuba
1962
Juan Bosch becomes president in the Dominican Republic in free elections
Montserrat becomes a Crown Colony again when West Indies Federation crumbles
Jamaica becomes independent. Missile Crisis with Cuba
1963
Bosch was exiled to Puerto Rico from the Dominican Republic for communist sentiment
Offshore banking begins in Curaçao because of U.S. agreement
1964
Muñoz Marín does not run for the position of Puerto Rico’s governor
1965
U.S. again invades the Dominican Republic
1966
Joaquin Balaguer elected in honest election in the Dominican Republic
New constitution in the Dominican Republic kept all-powerful central government and president
Barbados becomes independent
1968
U.S. Virgin Islands given limited self-government
1970
Balaguer re-elected in the Dominican Republic
Bosch returns to the Dominican Republic from exile, founds political party
1971
“Papa Doc” Duvalier dies, “Baby Doc” Jean-Claude Duvalier becomes successor
First election for governor of the U.S. Virgin Islands
1972
Turks and Caicos gain local government
1974
Balaguer re-elected in the Dominican Republic
Grenada becomes independent
1975
Cuba sends troops to Angola
1976 
First election on the Turks and Caicos
1977 
Cuba sends troops to Ethiopia
Jimmy Carter works to improve relations with Cuba
1978 
Balaguer loses election to Antonio Guzmán
U.S. steps in to oversee change of power in Dominican Republic
1979 
Hurricane devastates Dominican Republic but Guzman and appointees misappropriate funds
1980 
Mariel boat lift from Cuba
1981 
Antigua becomes independent
1982 
Salvador Jorge Blanco wins election in the Dominican Republic
Political changes in France cause upheaval in Martinique and Guadeloupe
Anguilla gains own constitution, separated from St. Kitts and Nevis
1984 
Riots over poverty in the Dominican Republic
1985 
Turks and Caicos chief minister Normal Saunders and councilmen arrested for drug trafficking
Nathaniel Francis replaced Saunders as Turks and Caicos chief minister
1986 
Balaguer re-elected in the Dominican Republic.
“Baby Doc” Duvalier ousted and exiled from Haiti
Jorge Blanco investigated for corruption in the Dominican Republic and fled to the U.S.
Aruba moves for independence from the Netherlands Antilles group
Francis declared unfit by government report in Turks and Caicos and government increases governor’s power
1988 
U.S. support for Curaçao’s offshore banking ends due to drug trafficking issues
1989 
Hurricane Hugo devastates many Caribbean islands
1990 
Balaquer re-elected in the Dominican Republic
U.S. forces elections in Haiti, Jean-Bertrand Aristide elected
Soviet collapse causes changes in Cuba
1991 
Aristide ousted in Haiti
Jorge Blanco returns to the Dominican Republic and sentenced to 20 years in jail
1994 
Balaguer re-elected in the Dominican Republic
Aristide was returned to power by U.S. invasion
Jorge Blanco released from prison early in the Dominican Republic
1995 
Chances Peak volcano erupts on Montserrat
1996 
René Préval elected in Haiti
Leonel Fernández Reyna elected in the Dominican Republic
Puerto Rico ends tax exemptions for foreign investors
Aruba was a top drug transit location
1997
Montserrat volcano erupts again
2000
Aristide wins election in Haiti