Grenada

Grenada's history is marked by a complex interplay of indigenous inhabitation, European colonization, and the transatlantic slave trade. Originally inhabited by the Caribs, the island was sighted by Christopher Columbus in 1498, but sustained European settlement began with the French in 1649. For over a century, Grenada shifted between French and British control, becoming a British colony in 1763 following the Treaty of Paris. The island's economy heavily relied on plantation agriculture, particularly nutmeg and cocoa, fueled by enslaved African labor. Grenada achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1974, establishing itself as a parliamentary democracy.