Soca News congratulates the twin island Republic of Trinidad and Tobago today on its 55th year of independence.
The island of Trinidad was a Spanish colony from 1498 when Christopher Columbus arrived until 18th February 1797 when the British landed ashore with a fleet of 18 warships which led to the capitulation of the then Governor Don José Maria Chacón. By that time Trinidad was a country with a population of 17, 718 of which 1,082 were Amerindians, 2,151 were of European ancestry, 4,476 were “free blacks and people of colour” and 10,009 were slaves.
Tobago, the cigar-shaped island was owned by various European colonizers over the centuries including the British, Dutch, French and Spanish. Eventually after numerous colonial struggles, the British augmented its hold over Tobago and it became one half of the colony of Trinidad and Tobago in 1889.
On August 31st 1962, Trinidad and Tobago lowered the British flag and replaced it with the now iconic black, red and white standard led by its first Prime Minister Eric Williams. Widely regarded as “the Father of the Nation” and leader of the political party the Peoples’ National Movement (PNM), Williams served as PM from 1956 until his death in 1981.
“Trinbago” as it is popularly known became a republic within the Commonwealth, severing its links with the British monarchy on August 1st 1976, a fitting date as it is celebrated as ‘Emancipation Day’. The country’s first female Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar served from May 2010 to September 2015 when the PNM won that year’s general election led by Dr. Keith Rowley who is the current Prime Minister. The country’s longest serving Member of Parliament and former Prime Minister, Patrick Manning of the PNM, passed away in July 2016.
“Together we aspire. Together we achieve” is the national motto of Trinidad and Tobago and as Soca News joins in the chorus of Independence Day wishes.