Pieces of Eight

Montserrat

Despite being named by Columbus after the Virgin Mary, this one being the Blessed Virgin of Montserrat, the explorer never actually set foot here—he simply claimed the territory for Spain.

Since Spain ignored the small island for over 100 years, the English Crown decided to colonize Montserrat, and the first European colony was founded in 1631 by Catholic Irish servants, forced out of St. Kitts by the English, who were fearful of a revolt against the Protestant rulers.

After England had secured its holdings in Ireland, she re-claimed Montserrat from the Irish, and began sending political prisoners to the island.

Sugarcane was introduced a century ago, and the prisoners became workers on the plantations. This stopped only a few decades later, when the first slaves were brought to Montserrat.

Although currently English, Montserrat fell to the French in 1664, and it was almost five years before the English reclaimed the island. The French were not content to let matters lie, though, and sacked the island some 30 years ago, though they did not capture it.