History of Guyana
Development of Guyana
Before Guyana became Guyana, it was controlled by the British. There is Suriname (formerly Dutch Guiana), French Guiana, and Guyana (formerly British Guiana) are all somewhat similar. The three areas remain more Caribbean than Latin America does. There were three eras that this society experienced as it moved away from being a British colony to an independent nation state. The first era was from 1900 to 1953, and it was known as the era of “new imperialism.” The second era was from 1953 to 1966 and it was from the internal self-government to the preparation for independence. The third era was from 1966 to 2000, and it was defined as the early post-colonial era.
In British Guiana, slavery was present and this led to the diverse population that is present in Guyana. In British Guiana, there was a lot of struggle for independence, and there were even strikes that took place. In 1963 there was a strike against the government. The fight for independence was a dark period in Guyanese history, but it showed what was possible here in the future because people from so many different ethnic groups came together. After a lot of violence and tensions, British Guiana gained their independence becoming Guyana on May 26th 1966 and also established a national anthem. In 1970, Guyana also adopted a republican constitution and became a Republic.
This photo shows British soldiers marching in Georgetown
Reason For Complex Multi-Ethnicity
Where did all the different ethnic groups present in Guyana come from?
Guyana (and British Guinea) had a lot of natural resources therefore slavery became prominent in this area. Amerindians were the first to be enslaved here and this lasted until 1973. Many different groups of African people were also enslaved here as well and they did a lot. Groups from West and Central Africa were enslaved and these groups included: Abuna, Akan, AKu (Yoruba), Egba, Effa, Fula (Fulani), Ibo, Ijesa, Kongo, Kru, Ondo (Doko), Oyeh,, and Yagba. The physical enslavement of Africans continued until August 1838 because they were emancipated.
The importation of indentured laborers started shortly after that. It began with the arrival of the Portuguese from Madeira in 1835, however, India became the primary source of indentured labor from 1838 until 1917. Indentured labor also came from many other places including parts of China and West and Central Africa (such as the Kru/Kroo, Yoruba, and Kongo ethnicities). Others came from places like Barbados, along with other islands in the Caribbean and the United States.
All of these different people led to a tense, multi-ethic and multi-religious society. There was also an ongoing contact and exchange that resulted in the development of a Guyanese creole identity. This led to a social and cultural hierarchy based on race and color on one's skin to form, leading to issues involving race. Although this happened, this was also a good thing, because many cultures and traditions began to blend as well.
Here the different ethnic grou seen in present day Guyana. These are all resulting from the complex