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Martinique was discovered by Christopher Columbus on
his fourth voyage in 1502. The island was inhabited by indigenous
Indians who called the Martinique “the island of flowers”.
During the course of the 17thCentury Martinique was colonized by the
“Compagnie des Iles d’Amerique”. Their encampment was on the north
occidental coast on the site that was to become the historic capital
Saint-Pierre.
31st October 1636 , King Louis the 13th signed a
decree authorizing the use of slaves in the French Antilles.
Thus began an intense period of colonization which
would eventually bring the French into conflict with the Caribbean
natives. Sugar Cane plantations were built further and further into
the natives territory until the natives were eradicated in 1660.
The English Empire occupied the island for almost the
entire period from 1794 to 1815 during which time the French
Revolution occurred.
 Amongst
the more famous battles between the French and English in the
Caribbean was the battle of Rocher du Diamant
The Rocher du
Diamont or Diamond Rock is a picturesque volcanic island, 176 metres
high, off the southern point of Martinique facing the later named
Diamond Beach. A sheltered habitat for many varieties of marine bird
and renowned for its sea life it is above all remembered for events
in its not too distant history.
In 1804 landed 120 English sailors who constructed a rock fort,
barracks and armory. They named the outpost after a famous British
warship, “The Diamond Rock”.
For almost a year and a half the English harassed the French navy
with cannon fire and surprise attacks as the French attempted to
traverse the passage.
The situation eventually forced the French to resort to an
unorthodox plan. The French Admiral for the Caribbean sent a Sloop
laden with Rum to the island. The English sailors, their discipline
eroded by time and their own isolation, consumed the rum and by
default allowed the French to retake the strategic outpost.
The island was officially returned to the French in
1845, when after the Napoleonic War, the French Empire entered a
period of relative stability.
Throughout this period the trade in slaves had continued. Even
during the revolutionary phase, when other island such as Guadeloupe
abolished the practice, the influx continued resulting in several
revolts, the most notable being in 1816 and 1848.
In 1848 Victor Schoelcher, French Minister for foreign territories,
abolished slavery in the French Antilles, convincing the government
to grant a Proclamation of Emancipation
 Martinique
has one other truly significant event in its history, the eruption
of Mt Pelee on the 8th March 1902. The island’s capital and what was
then the most advanced city of the Antilles ,Saint-Pierre, was
entirely destroyed by one of the most devastating natural disasters
to have occurred in the Caribbean, killing all of its 30 000
inhabitants. The capital was relocated to Fort De France where it
remains today.
In 1946 Martinique was granted the status of official
French territory and has been considered a French Region since 1982.
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