History of Anguilla

This is the history of Anguilla. See also the history of the Caribbean, history of the Americas, and history of present-day nations and states.

Colonized by English settlers from Saint Kitts in 1650, the island of Anguilla was administered by Great Britain until the early 19th century, when the island - against the wishes of the inhabitants - was incorporated into a single British dependency along with Saint Kitts and Nevis. Several attempts at separation failed, including a referendum on 11 July 1967 with 1813 votes for secession and 5 against. In 1971, two years after a revolt which prompted a British military intervention, Anguilla was finally allowed to secede from Saint Kitts and Nevis; this arrangement was formally recognized in 1980 with Anguilla becoming a separate British dependency, which it remains.