Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla

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Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
1882–1983
Motto: "Unity in Trinity"
Anthem:  God Save the Queen (1882–1901; 1952–83)
God Save the King (1901–52)
LocationSt.Kitts Nevis Anguilla.PNG
Location of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla
among the Leeward Islands.
StatusColony of the United Kingdom (1882–1967)
Associated state of the United Kingdom (1967–1983)
Capital Basseterre
Common languagesEnglish (official)
Saint Kitts Creole
Anguillian Creole
Government Constitutional monarchy
Queen  
 1882–1901 (first)
Victoria
 1952–83 (last)
Elizabeth II
Governor  
 1882–1885 (first)
Charles Monroe Elridge
 1981-1983
Clement A. Arrindell
Legislature Legislative Council
History 
 Established
16 June 1882
27 February 1967
 Disestablished
19 September 1983
Currency East Caribbean dollar ( XCD )
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Saint Christopher and Nevis
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg Anguilla
Republic of Anguilla Flag of Anguilla (1967-1969).svg
Anguilla Flag of Anguilla.svg
Saint Kitts and Nevis Flag of Saint Kitts and Nevis.svg

Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla (or Saint Christopher, Nevis, and Anguilla) was a British colony in the West Indies from 1882 to 1983, consisting of the islands of Anguilla (until 1980), Nevis, and Saint Christopher (or Saint Kitts). From 1882 to 1951, and again from 1980, the colony was known simply as Saint Christopher and Nevis. Saint Christopher and Nevis gained independence in 1983 as the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, while Anguilla would remain a British overseas territory.

Contents

History

The islands of Saint Christopher and Nevis had been British colonies since the 17th century, though were always administered separately. A union of Saint Christopher and Nevis had been proposed as early as 1867, when Captain James George Mackenzie was appointed Lieutenant-Governor of Saint Christopher with a mandate to seek an amalgamation of the administrations of the two islands. This proposal met with strong opposition, however, and was withdrawn the following year. [1] In 1871, Saint Christopher and Nevis became presidencies within the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands, with Anguilla being attached to Saint Christopher as a dependency in the same year. However, in 1882, the legislature of the Leeward Islands passed legislation merging the two presidencies, forming a combined Presidency of Saint Christopher and Nevis. [2]

In 1951, the name of the colony was changed to include Anguilla. The Leeward Islands Colony was disbanded in 1958, due to frequent tension between its members. From 1958 to 1962, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla formed a province of the West Indies Federation, electing two members to the House of Representatives and also having two senators, appointed by the Governor-General. [3] In 1967, the territory of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla was granted full internal autonomy, as an Associated State of the United Kingdom. The UK retained responsibility for defence and external affairs, while a new judicial system was established, the West Indies Associated States Supreme Court (although the Privy Council remained the highest court of appeal). Later in 1967, Anguilla's leaders expelled the Federation's police from the island, and declared its independence as the Republic of Anguilla. On 7 November 1970, a commission led by Hugh Wooding, former Chief Justice of Trinidad and Tobago, published report which unanimously refused both the idea of independent Anguilla and the return of the status of a British colony and recommended that the island should instead remain a part of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla. [4] The report was welcomed by Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw while the Council of Anguilla rejected it. [4] Foreign and Commonwealth Office Minister Joseph Godber stated in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom that his government will analyze the report in light of discussions with all interested parties and that no decision unacceptable to the people of Anguilla will be made. [4] A series of interim agreements followed that resulted in direct rule of the island from Britain, although it was not formally separated until December 1980, when it was made a separate Crown colony. [5] [6]

Nevis had also attempted to separate from the federation on several occasions, but the island's leaders were unsuccessful in their efforts. However, they did manage to secure greater autonomy for Nevis in the years leading up to independence, which occurred in September 1983 after a delay of several years to allow for negotiations. [7] Sir Frederick Albert Phillips, the first governor of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, wrote in 2013: [2]

It is generally acknowledged that the federation failed on several counts. It failed to live up to the promise of greatly improved administration; it failed to produce economies in the administration of the federating islands as one composite unit; and it failed in that it did not produce any significantly greater output in terms of social development.

Politics

1956 stamp of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla stamp.jpg
1956 stamp of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla

List of administrators

From 1882 to 1958, the federation's administrator was under the wider jurisdiction of the Governor of the Leeward Islands. From 1958 to 1962, the administrator was responsible to the Governor-General of the West Indies Federation. [8]

President
Commissioner
Administrator
Governor

List of heads of government

Chief Minister
Premier

Sport and culture

The national football team debuted in 1938, in a friendly against Grenada, but played only sporadically. It has played more regularly since independence. [9] In cricket, the Anguilla, Nevis, and Saint Kitts national teams competed separately at regional level, although combined teams were occasionally fielded in the past. [10] Delegations from Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla were sent to several editions of the CARIFTA Games, winning medals in 1977 and 1983. At the 1978 Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, the federation sent four competitors (two runners and two cyclists, all male), but failed to win a medal. [11]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nevis</span> Island in the Caribbean Sea

Nevis is an island in the Caribbean Sea that forms part of the inner arc of the Leeward Islands chain of the West Indies. Nevis and the neighbouring island of Saint Kitts constitute the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, a singular nation state. Nevis is located near the northern end of the Lesser Antilles archipelago about 350 kilometres (220 mi) east-southeast of Puerto Rico and 80 kilometres (50 mi) west of Antigua. Its area is 93 square kilometres (36 sq mi) and the capital is Charlestown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Kitts and Nevis</span> Country in the West Indies

Saint Kitts and Nevis, officially the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis, is an island country consisting of the two islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis, both located in the West Indies, in the Leeward Islands chain of the Lesser Antilles. With 261 square kilometres (101 sq mi) of territory, and roughly 50,000 inhabitants, it is the smallest sovereign state in the Western Hemisphere, in both area and population, as well as the world's smallest sovereign federation. The country is a Commonwealth realm, with Charles III as King and head of state.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of Saint Kitts and Nevis</span>

Saint Kitts and Nevis have one of the longest written histories in the Caribbean, both islands being among Spain's and England's first colonies in the archipelago. Despite being only two miles apart and quite diminutive in size, Saint Kitts and Nevis were widely recognized as being separate entities with distinct identities until they were forcibly united in the late 19th century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Saint Kitts</span> Island in the West Indies; part of the Federation of St. Kitts and Nevis

Saint Kitts, officially Saint Christopher, is an island in the West Indies. The west side of the island borders the Caribbean Sea, and the eastern coast faces the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Kitts and the neighbouring island of Nevis constitute one country: the Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Saint Kitts and Nevis are separated by a shallow 3-kilometre (2 mi) channel known as "The Narrows".

The history of Anguilla runs from the beginning of human habitation, probably via settlement from South America, through its colonization by the English in the early modern period, to the present day. Following a series of rebellions and a short-lived period as an independent republic during the 1960s, Anguilla has been a separate British overseas territory since 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Indies Federation</span> 1958–1962 political union of British island colonies in the Caribbean

The West Indies Federation, also known as the West Indies, the Federation of the West Indies or the West Indian Federation, was a short-lived political union that existed from 3 January 1958 to 31 May 1962. Various islands in the Caribbean that were part of the British Empire, including Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados, Jamaica, and those on the Leeward and Windward Islands, came together to form the Federation, with its capital in Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. The expressed intention of the Federation was to create a political unit that would become independent from Britain as a single state — possibly similar to Canada, the Federation of Australia, or the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland. Before that could happen, the Federation collapsed due to internal political conflicts over how it would be governed or function viably. The formation of a West Indian Federation was encouraged by the United Kingdom, but also requested by West Indian nationalists.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British West Indies</span> British territories in the Caribbean, sometimes including former colonies

The British West Indies (BWI) were colonised British territories in the West Indies: Anguilla, the Cayman Islands, Turks and Caicos Islands, Montserrat, the British Virgin Islands, Antigua and Barbuda, The Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, British Guiana and Trinidad and Tobago. Other territories included Bermuda, and the former British Honduras.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw</span> Saint Kitts and Nevis politician

Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw was the first Premier of Saint Kitts and Nevis, and previously served as Chief Minister, legislator, and labour activist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Southwell</span> St Kitts & Nevis politician (1913-1979)

Caleb Azariah Paul Southwell was the second Premier and first Chief Minister of Saint Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean. He also worked as a teacher, police officer, and trade unionist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">History of the British West Indies</span> History of former Caribbean colonies

The term British West Indies refers to the former English and British colonies and the present-day overseas territories of the United Kingdom in the Caribbean.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Indies Associated States</span> 1967–1983 group of British-associated Caribbean island states

West Indies Associated States was the collective name for a number of islands in the Eastern Caribbean whose status changed from being British colonies to states in free association with the United Kingdom in 1967. These states were Antigua, Dominica, Grenada, Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, and Saint Vincent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Leeward Islands</span> 1671–1816 and 1833–1958 British colony in the Caribbean

The British Leeward Islands was a British colony from 1671 to 1958, consisting of the English overseas possessions in the Leeward Islands. It ceased to exist from 1816 to 1833, during which time it was split into two separate colonies. It was dissolved in 1958 after the separation of the British Virgin Islands, and the remaining islands became parts of the West Indies Federation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flag of the British Leeward Islands</span>

The flag of the British Leeward Islands was the flag of the Federal Colony of the Leeward Islands. It was a Blue Ensign with a badge. The colonies under the Federal Colony had their own badges from 1909. The Governor-in-chief of the Leeward Islands used a Union Flag defaced with the coat of arms. The badge depicted two white ships sailing in opposite directions through the straits. In the foreground was a pineapple, with three smaller ones behind it. Pineapples were an important product of island agriculture. The coat of arms of Great Britain appeared above the scene.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monarchy of Saint Kitts and Nevis</span> Constitutional monarchy as a system of government in Saint Kitts and Nevis

The monarchy of Saint Kitts and Nevis is a system of government in which a hereditary monarch is the sovereign and head of state of Saint Kitts and Nevis. The current monarch of Saint Kitts and Nevis, since 8 September 2022, is King Charles III. As sovereign, he is the personal embodiment of the Crown of Saint Kitts and Nevis. Although the person of the sovereign is equally shared with 14 other independent countries within the Commonwealth of Nations, each country's monarchy is separate and legally distinct. As a result, the current monarch is officially titled King of Saint Christopher and Nevis and, in this capacity, he and other members of the royal family undertake public and private functions domestically and abroad as representatives of Saint Kitts and Nevis. However, the King is the only member of the royal family with any constitutional role.

The Leeward Islands Cricket Association, also known as the Leeward Islands Cricket Board, is the ruling body for cricket in the following Caribbean islands: Anguilla, Antigua and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands, Montserrat, Nevis, Saint Kitts, Sint Maarten, and the United States Virgin Islands. Dominica is geographically a part of the Leeward Islands, but as it was part of the Windward Islands colony from 1940 until its independence, its cricket federation remains a part of the Windward Islands although it did participate in the first Leeward Islands tournament and was a founding member of the Leeward Islands Cricket Association in 1913.

Saint Kitts and Nevis is an island country in the Leeward Islands, consisting of the islands of Saint Kitts and Nevis. In 1883, St. Kitts, Nevis and Anguilla were united into one colony. Anguilla formally separated from the union in 1980.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis</span> Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis

The Constitution of Saint Kitts and Nevis was adopted on 23 June 1983 and took effect when the country became independent on 19 September 1983. It consists of 11 chapters and various schedules, which establish the rights, responsibilities and definition of the citizens of the federation. It also provides the form and structure of government, and enumerates the powers of the different branches of government. Its treatment of the island of Nevis is rather unusual among federated nations.

Sir Probyn Ellsworth Inniss MBE was the Governor of Saint Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla from 1975 to 1980, and then, following the separation of Anguilla, the Governor of Saint Christopher and Nevis from 1980 to 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kittitian and Nevisian nationality law</span> Laws regulating citizenship in Saint Kitts and Nevis

The primary law governing Saint Kitts and Nevis nationality regulations is the Saint Christopher and Nevis Citizenship Act, which came into force on 28 February 1984.

References

  1. Phillips, Sir Fred (2013). Commonwealth Caribbean Constitutional Law. pp. 126–127. ISBN   9781135338053.
  2. 1 2 Phillips, p. 129
  3. West Indies Federation – Caribbean Elections. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  4. 1 2 3 Milutin Tomanović (1971) Hronika međunarodnih događaja 1970, Institute of International Politics and Economics: Belgrade, p. 2461 (in Serbo-Croatian)
  5. Minahan, James (2013). The Complete Guide to National Symbols and Emblems. pp. 656–657. ISBN   9780313344978.
  6. Hubbard, Vincent (2002). A History of St. Kitts . Macmillan Caribbean. pp.  147–149. ISBN   9780333747605.
  7. Phillips, pp. 131–133
  8. Saint Kitts and Nevis – Rulers.org. Retrieved 24 April 2016.
  9. "Saint Kitts and Nevis – List of International Matches"RSSSF. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  10. Other matches played by St Kitts and Nevis Archived 30 July 2019 at the Wayback Machine – CricketArchive. Retrieved 25 April 2016.
  11. Glenn Osborne competed in the 100 metres, running the slowest time in any of the seven heats, Ezzard Wilson competed in the 800 metres, and Vincent Benjamin and Cedric Maynard competing in various cycling events. "Medals won by St. Kitts & Nevis", 1978 Commonwealth Games Archived 15 February 2013 at the Wayback Machine – The Commonwealth Games Federation. Retrieved 25 April 2016.

17°45′N62°55′W / 17.750°N 62.917°W / 17.750; -62.917