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Guyana's History
Home » Guyana » Guyana Overview and History » Guyana's HistoryGuyana’s first inhabitants were the indigenous people known as the Amerindians. There are nine original tribes including the Caribs, Arawaks, and the Wai Wais. The Dutch were the first settlers of the region in the 16th century, although it is believed that the 1595 voyage led by Sir Walter Raleigh that brought about the supposed accounts of the city of “El Dorado” were in the vicinity of present day Guyana. While the Dutch populated the coastlines with slaves from African nations sent to work on sugar and cotton plantations, the French and English were also claiming land in the region. In 1763, the Berbice Slave Rebellion broke out due to the cruel treatment of the slaves by the Dutch. The revolt was led by a male slave by the name of Cuffy, who later committed suicide. With the help of warships and additional back-up, Cuffy’s followers were tracked down and the Dutch felt that the revolt was under control. In 1781 war broke out between Holland and England and three of Guyana’s colonies were claimed by the English. A short time later, France, who was also at war with England, but allies with Holland, claimed the colonies as their own. Not long after that, the colonies were restored back to Holland and they began to build up the canal system in their capital of Stabroek, which is present day Georgetown. In the 1790s, war broke out once more between Holland and England and the colonies were again claimed by the English. After a short lived peace treaty which gave the colonies back to the Dutch, the war resumed and Guyana was handed back over to the English for the final time. In 1812, the town of Stabroek was renamed Georgetown. Slavery was abolished in 1833, but slaves were not granted their full freedom. Instead they were only required to work three quarters of every day for seven years. Slavery was fully abolished in 1838; that same year indentured laborers began arriving from India. From that point on, people were brought in from Portugal, China, and other countries to work on the plantations until the practice was stopped in 1917. Finally, after years of being controlled by other countries, Guyana gained its independence in May of 1966 and became a republic on February 23, 1970.
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