Grenada: History

Grenada was originally inhabited by the Kalinago (Carib) people, who had earlier displaced Arawak populations, and the island resisted early European colonization efforts due to fierce Indigenous defense. France established a permanent settlement in 1650, leading to a violent conflict that resulted in the near-total destruction of the island's Kalinago population, before Britain gained control of Grenada in 1763 following the Seven Years' War.

Under British rule, Grenada developed a plantation economy dependent on enslaved African labor, initially producing sugar and later shifting toward nutmeg and cocoa cultivation, which remain closely tied to the island's identity today. Grenada gradually gained self-governance through the 20th century, achieving full independence from Britain in 1974 under Prime Minister Eric Gairy.

In 1979, a coup led by Maurice Bishop's New Jewel Movement established a socialist government, which was later overthrown by internal factional violence in 1983 that resulted in Bishop's execution. This crisis prompted a US-led military intervention later that year, after which Grenada restored parliamentary democracy. The island has since focused on rebuilding through tourism and agricultural exports, particularly its renowned nutmeg production.