Turks and Caicos History

Before Christopher Columbus set foot on Grand Turk in 1492,Turks and Caicos was inhabited by Taino and Lucayan Indians. Their heritage including seafaring, salt raking and farming still lingers today. For almost 700 years they were the only residents on the islands, mainly in Middle Caicos and Grand Turk. They were skilled in farming, fishing and gardening, cultivating almost 50 types of plants some still found in undeveloped areas. After Columbus’ arrival, the Lucayan civilization disappeared and the islands were sparsely populated for about 30 years. During that time, a salt making industry developed and Bermudians came to Turks and Caicos to rake salt and take it back to Bermuda.
In 1706 the French and Spanish briefly captured Turks and Caicos from the Bermudians. By the end of the century, Britain retained the islands as part of the Treaty of Versailles. In 1766, it became part of the Bahamas colony and in 1874 Turks and Caicos became dependent to the British Crown Colony of Jamaica. When Jamaica won independence from Britain in 1962, Turks and Caicos became a Bristish Crown colony on its own and is still one today. By the 1980s, Turks and Caicos along with Providenciales where the Seven Stars Grace Bay Resort is located, became the ultimate tourist destination.