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You're going on vacation. There's sea, sand and great food. Who cares about the island's history? Normally we would agree, but in the case of St. Barts, the island is so unusual that you'll definitely be curious. While you may not read this section before you leave home, you surely will after spending a day on the island. We promise to keep it short.
Discovered by Columbus on his second voyage (1493-1496), the island was named for his younger brother Bartholomew - St. Barthelemeo. Columbus moved on - with no fresh water and no people, the island was largely useless to him. Even the Carib Indians living on nearby islands stopped here only to fish.
Although the Pope gave the whole New World to Spain in 1494, the Spanish did not consider the tiny islands in this area of any importance and left them for France and Britain, who both established colonies on nearby St. Christopher (now St. Kitts). In 1634, Pierre d'Esnambuc (sponsored by the French on St. Kitts) landed on St. Barts and liked it. He set off for France to gather settlers. He returned to the area with about 500 people, mostly peasants from Normandy and Brittany. Since the majority of these people chose to stay on St. Kitts and others on Guadeloupe and Martinique, only 60 or so arrived on St. Barts in approximately 1648.
The governor of the French colonies, Longvilliers de Poincy was also a commander in the Knights of Malta. This order was founded during the Crusades to aid soldiers and pilgrims enroute to the Holy Land. As the Spanish became more prominent in the area, they menaced the small French colony. De Poincy sold St. Barts and the French side of St. Martin to the Knights, thereby gaining a protective force while he continued to govern.
Unfortunately, the Knights did not recognize the threat from the Carib Indians. The Indians massacred the entire colony, which made it more difficult to attract new settlers. Yet since it had an excellent harbor and a strategic position surrounded by British possessions, the governor of St. Kitts cajoled 100 hardy Huguenots from Normandy and Brittany to try again.
With no fresh water and little arable land, no plantations were established here and there was no need for slaves. Unlike the majority of islands in the West Indies, there are very few black people living on St. Barts. Those that do live here are descendants of workers from nearby islands recruited to labor in the shipyards.
St. Barts began to prosper because of its harbor. Pirates of all nationalities made the island their headquarters, bringing the treasures they had plundered from Spanish galleons, having their ships repaired and restocked. One well-known cutthroat, Montbars the Exterminator (is that a great name!) made St. Barts his home.
Montbars the Exterminator
As a boy the French-born Montbars had read of the cruelties of the Spanish as they conquered the New World. He vowed revenge and was so successful he earned the name 'Exterminator.' Montbars was lost at sea during a hurricane and never returned to excavate his loot. Lore has it buried near Anse de Gouverneur or Grande Saline on the south coast. Bring your shovels!
Although prospering, St. Barts was ceded by King Louis XVI to his friend King Gustaf III of Sweden in exchange for free-port rights in Gothenburg. In 1784, the Swedes, who had no other possessions in the New World, became rulers of St. Barts. They took their responsibility seriously. They laid out a grid of streets on both sides of the harbor, renaming the town (then called Carenage) for their King, Gustavia. They carved winding roads through the island, built a town hall, made the island a duty-free port (which it still is today) and constructed three forts. Forts Gustaf, Octave and Karl are still visible today, with Gustaf on the hill in town. Best of all, they did not impose their culture on the islanders, but rather permitted local traditions to continue.
The island boomed and by 1800 there were over 6,000 residents. Unfortunately, as neighboring islands expanded their port facilities, trade moved north, especially to the Danish Virgin Islands (now U.S.). Many St. Barthians left the island to form a community on St. Thomas. They called it Carenage and it still exists today.
Hurricanes and a huge fire in 1852 decimated Gustavia. It was not rebuilt. In 1967 only 400 people lived in Gustavia.
In 1878, after 92 years, the Swedes sold St. Barts back to France. It remains part of France today, with locals voting for the French President and Prime Minister. It is governed through Guadeloupe, but elects a local mayor and municipal council.
St. Barts remains an anachronism. Older residents cling to the centuries-old traditions of their native Breton, Norman and Swedish ancestors, while the younger are moving rapidly into the world of rock music, Sunday football games and cheeseburgers.
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