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58-615: The Progressive Association was a political party in British Guiana . The party was established in 1887 by Patrick Dargan , who led it until his death in 1908. It later absorbed the Portuguese-founded Reform Association. In the 1897 general elections the party supported several candidates, including Dargan and Andrew Benjamin Brown ; almost all of them were elected. This article about

116-445: A Guyanese political party is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . British Guiana British Guiana was a British colony, part of the mainland British West Indies . It was located on the northern coast of South America . Since 1966 it has been known as the independent nation of Guyana . The first known Europeans to encounter Guiana were Sir Walter Raleigh , an English explorer, and his crew. Raleigh published

174-450: A US Navy lighter-than-air base in the fall of 1943 when blimps were added to the patrol dues. The 80th Seabees built a large blimp hangar , a mooring post, and a helium purification plant to support the blimps. By May 1944 all major construction had been completed and the 11th Construction Battalion was released. The Bureau of Yards and Docks departed on June 30, 1943. Trinidad being a large base and training center did not close after

232-512: A book entitled The Discovery of Guiana , but this mainly relates to the Guayana region of Venezuela. The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle there, starting in the early 17th century. They founded the colonies of Essequibo and Berbice , adding Demerara in the mid-18th century. In 1796, Great Britain took over these three colonies during hostilities with the French, who had occupied

290-402: A brewery, a soap factory, a biscuit factory and an oxygen-acetylene plant, among others). The London-based Booker Group of companies (Booker Brothers, McConnell & Co., Ltd) dominated the economy of British Guiana. The Bookers had owned sugar plantations in the colony since the early 19th century; by the end of the century they owned a majority of them. By 1950 they owned all but three. With

348-690: A diplomatic protest, claiming that the New River , and not the Kutari, was to be regarded as the source of the Courantyne and the boundary. The British government in 1900 replied that the issue was already settled by the longstanding acceptance of the Kutari as the boundary. In 1962, the Kingdom of the Netherlands , on behalf of its then- constituent country of Suriname , finally made formal claim to

406-588: A lifeline to the UK during the war. France was defeated by Nazi Germany in June 1940. The United States at this time was neutral . Thus England, the British Commonwealth and British empire was alone in the war against German and Italian Fascism . The 50 destroyers, in the base for destroyers deal of September 2, 1940, were Caldwell , Wickes , and Clemson class . The destroyers were transferred to

464-565: A new proportional representation system. Britain expected that this system would reduce the number of seats won by the PPP and prevent it from obtaining a majority. The December 1964 elections for the new legislature gave the PPP 45.8% (24 seats), the People's National Congress (PNC) 40.5% (22 seats) and the United Force (UF) 12.4% (7 seats). The UF agreed to form a coalition government with

522-459: A new border according to the award, and the parties accepted the boundary in 1905. There the matter rested until 1962, when Venezuela renewed its 19th-century claim, alleging that the arbitral award was invalid. After his death, Severo Mallet-Prevost, legal counsel for Venezuela and a named partner in the New York law firm Curtis, Mallet-Prevost, Colt & Mosle published a letter alleging that

580-451: A nominated Senate (13 seats). In the ensuing election of 21 August 1961, the PPP won 20 seats in the House of Assembly, entitling it as the majority party to appoint eight senators. Upon the 1961 election, British Guiana also became self-governing , except as to defence and external matters. The leader of the majority party became prime minister, who then named a Council of Ministers, replacing

638-637: A significant part of the economy (in 1959 sugar still accounted for nearly 50% of exports). Under the Dutch, settlement and economic activity was concentrated around sugarcane plantations lying inland from the coast. Under the British, cane planting expanded to richer coastal lands, with greater coastline protection. Until the abolition of slavery in the British Empire , sugar planters depended almost exclusively on slave labour to produce sugar. Georgetown

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696-564: The Berbice Association . The Dutch West India Company founded a third colony, Demerara , in the mid-18th century. During the French Revolutionary Wars of the late 18th century, when the Netherlands were occupied by the French, and Great Britain and France were at war, Britain took over the colony in 1796. A British expeditionary force was dispatched from its colony of Barbados to seize the colonies from

754-649: The British Government abolished the Dutch-influenced constitution and replaced it with a Crown colony constitution. A Legislative Council with an appointed majority was established, and the administrative powers of the Governor were strengthened. These constitutional changes were not popular among the Guyanese, who viewed them as a step backward. The franchise was extended to women . In 1938

812-640: The Gulf of Paria was part of the deal. Later in the year the United States transferred ten Lake-class Coast Guard cutters to the Royal Navy to be used as anti-submarine convoy escorts. The large refinery at Pointe-à-Pierre on Trinidad a key to winning the war. Pan American Airways developed airports in Latin America in the fall of 1940. This was with the support of the United States,

870-674: The Netherlands . Britain returned control of the territory to the Batavian Republic in 1802, but captured the colonies a year later during the Napoleonic Wars . The Netherlands officially ceded the colonies to the United Kingdom in 1815. The British consolidated the territories into a single colony in 1831. The colony's capital was at Georgetown (known as Stabroek prior to 1812). Since the late 19th century,

928-631: The Royal Navy from the US Navy . The United States received rent-free 99-year leases of US bases on the British controlled islands of Newfoundland , Bermuda , Trinidad, Great Exuma , Jamaica , Antigua , St. Lucia , the Bahamas , and one in British Guiana . The deal was done by President Franklin Roosevelt by executive agreement , without congressional approval. West coast of Trinidad with

986-615: The United States Navy established NAF British Guiana and NAF Paramaribo in British Guiana. The economy was based on cultivation and processing of sugarcane as a commodity crop, dependent on extensive labor by enslaved workers of mostly sub-Saharan African descent. Although the UK and the United States abolished the Atlantic slave trade in 1807, the domestic slave trade flourished until Britain emancipated all

1044-713: The West India Royal Commission ("The Moyne Commission") was appointed to investigate the economic and social condition of all the British colonies in the Caribbean region after a number of civil and labour disturbances . Among other changes, the Commission recommended some constitutional reforms. As a result, in 1943 a majority of the Legislative Council seats became elective, the property qualifications for voters and for candidates for

1102-512: The swamps in the area. Teteron Bay became a major navy depot. Seabees arrived at Trinidad on December 30, 1942. The Seabees of the 30th, 83rd and 11th Construction Battalion took over the operation and maintenance of the base from the civilian contractors. The US Army built two major airfields, Waller Field and Carlson Field. Both were also used by the Navy as bases for aircraft carrier fighter aircraft and transport services. Carlsen Field became

1160-623: The " New River Triangle ", the triangular-shaped region between the New and Kutari rivers that was in dispute. The then Surinamese colonial government and, after 1975, the independent Surinamese government, maintained the Dutch position, while the British Guiana Government, and later the independent Guyanese government, maintained the British position. British Guiana is famous among philatelists for its early postage stamps, which were first issued in 1850. These stamps include some of

1218-558: The Council were lowered, and the bar on women and clergy serving on the Council was abolished. The Governor retained control of the Executive Council, which had the power to veto or pass laws against the wishes of the Legislative Council. The next round of constitutional reforms came in 1953. A bicameral legislature , consisting of a lower House of Assembly and an upper State Council, was established. The voting membership of

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1276-622: The French-dominated Batavian Republic . The colonies surrendered without a struggle. Initially very little changed, as the British agreed to allow the long-established laws of the colonies to remain in force. In 1802 Britain returned the colonies to the Batavian Republic under the terms of the Treaty of Amiens . But, after resuming hostilities with France in the Napoleonic Wars in 1803, Britain seized

1334-478: The House of Assembly was entirely elective. The membership of the State Council was appointed by the Governor and the House of Assembly and possessed limited revisionary powers. A Court of Policy became the executive body, consisting of the Governor and other colonial officials. Universal adult suffrage was instituted, and the property qualifications for office abolished. The election of 27 April 1953 under

1392-662: The PNC, and accordingly, the PNC leader became the new prime minister. In November 1965 an independence conference in London quickly reached agreement on an independent constitution; it set the date for independence as 26 May 1966. On that date, at 12 midnight, British Guiana became the new nation of Guyana . In 1840, the British Government assigned the German-born explorer Robert Hermann Schomburgk to survey and mark out

1450-708: The SS Penelope on 14 February 14, 1942 off St. Lucia. U-67 sank six other ships on her next tour off the north coast of South America. On 16 July, U-67 was sunk by a Grumman TBF Avenger with four Mk.7 depth charges. German submarines U-129 , U-502 , U-126 also spent time in the Caribbean. Some Italian submarines also patrolled the Caribbean: Luigi Torelli , Leonardo da Vinci , Enrico Tazzoli , Giuseppe Finzi and Morosini . US Navy Patrol Bombing Squadron or VPB and VP were stationed at

1508-781: The SS Sarniadoc a Canadian Steam merchant off Guadeloupe . The USCGC  Acacia , a mine planter, March 15, 1942, was sunk of Haiti . U-161 third tour took her to the Brazilian coast. She sank the SS Neuva Altagracia on 16 June 1942. On July 3, 1942, she sank the SS San Pablo in the port of Puerto Limón, Costa Rica . U-161 Fifth tour she sank the SS Angelus off Bermuda on May 19, 1943. On September 20, 1943 U-161 on her sixth tour she sank

1566-725: The SS St. Usk and sank the SS Itapagé on September 26. U-161 was sunk 200 miles of Salvador with loss of all 53 crew menm on September 27, 1943. U-161 was sunk by a PBM Mariner plane from the Salvador Emergency advance bases and the troops of the VP-74 . German submarine U-129 sank the tanker SS Nordvangen off Trinidad on 20 February 10, 1942. On 22 March 1944 U-129 sank the SS Anadyr off Recife, Brazil. U-129

1624-601: The U.S.-British Destroyers for Bases agreement which exchanged older US destroyers for U.S. rights to operate Advance Bases in the Atlantic. This was done so the US could have tactical bases, patrol aircraft and ships to control the Caribbean Sea . Trinidad, Bermuda, Santo Domingo and Argentia became major bases. The US Navy started construction at Trinidad on January 193, 1941. Over 10,000 Trinidadian workers were hired for

1682-485: The United States' Monroe Doctrine to win support for its position. US President Grover Cleveland used diplomatic pressure to get the British to agree to arbitration of the issue, ultimately agreeing terms for the arbitration that suited Britain. An arbitration tribunal convened in Paris in 1898, and issued its award in 1899. The tribunal awarded about 94% of the disputed territory to British Guiana. A commission surveyed

1740-458: The code WAT. Allied convoy code TAW was given for the Trinidad to Aruba and Key West trips. Convoy code for Guantánamo to Aruba and Trinidad was GAT and the return trip TAG. Allies called the shipping lane between Guiana and Trinidad Torpedo Junction as it had many Allies merchant ships. Columbus Channel which separates the southwest corner of Trinidad and Tobago from the coast of Venezuela

1798-516: The colonies again less than a year later. The Netherlands officially ceded the three colonies to the United Kingdom in the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1814 . The UK continued separate administration of the individual colonies until 1822, when the administration of Essequibo and Demerara was combined. In 1831, the administration Essequibo-Demerara and Berbice was combined, and the united colony became known as British Guiana. During World War II

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1856-505: The colonies involved three phases: desertion from the plantations; movement settlements and later to urban areas; and intra-regional migration from one Caribbean island to another. The traditional rigid Indian caste system largely collapsed in the colonies. Guianese served in all British forces during the Second World War, and enjoyed veterans' benefits afterwards. The colony made a small but important financial contribution to

1914-671: The constitution, declared a state of emergency , and militarily occupied British Guiana on 9 October 1953. Under the direction of the British Colonial Office , the Governor assumed direct rule of the colony under an Interim Government, which continued until 1957. On 12 August 1957, elections were held and the PPP won nine of fourteen elective seats in a new legislature. A constitutional convention convened in London in March 1960 reached agreement on another new legislature, to consist of an elected House of Assembly (35 seats) and

1972-649: The construction projects. Trinidad, off the coast of Venezuela , was key to protecting South American trade routes and the Panama Canal. The Naval Base was built on the northwest tip of the island on 7,940 acres, this included the land on five small islands in the Gulf of Paria . Later 3,800 more acres were added to the base, but only 1,200 acres were built up. Four bays were used for Naval activities: Carenage , Chaguaramus , Teteron, and Scotland. Two major land bases were built at Chaguaramus (Chaguaramas Naval Base) and Tucker (Tucker Naval Base). The second task after

2030-678: The dispute remains unresolved. Robert Schomburgk's 1840 commission also included a survey of the colony's eastern boundary with the Dutch colony of Surinam , now the independent nation of Suriname . The 1899 arbitration award settling the British Guiana–Venezuela border made reference to the border with Suriname as continuing to the source of the Courantyne River , which it named as the Kutari River . The Netherlands raised

2088-527: The economy has become more diversified but has still relied on resource exploitation . Guyana became independent of the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966. The English made at least two unsuccessful attempts in the 17th century to colonise the lands that would later be known as British Guiana. By that time, the Dutch had established two colonies in the area: Essequibo , administered by the Dutch West India Company , and Berbice , administered by

2146-596: The elective membership of the Courts. Membership of the Court of Policy became half elected and half appointed, and all of the Financial Representatives became elective positions. The executive functions of the Court of Policy were transferred to a new Executive Council under the control of the Governor. Property qualifications were significantly relaxed for voters and for candidates to the Courts. In 1928

2204-523: The enslaved in its colonies in the 1830s. The wealth they generated had largely flowed to a group of absentee slave owners living in Britain, especially in Glasgow and Liverpool . The economy of British Guiana was completely based on sugarcane production until the 1880s, when falling cane sugar prices stimulated a shift toward rice farming, mining and forestry. But the production of sugarcane remained

2262-569: The former Executive Council. From 1962 to 1964, riots, strikes and other disturbances stemming from racial, social and economic conflicts delayed full independence for British Guiana. The leaders of the political parties reported to the British Colonial Secretary that they were unable to reach agreement on the remaining details of forming an independent government. The British Colonial Office intervened by imposing its own independence plan, in part requiring another election under

2320-617: The increasing success and wealth of the Booker Group, they expanded internationally and diversified by investing in rum, pharmaceuticals, publishing, advertising, retail stores, timber, and petroleum, among other industries. The Booker Group became the largest employer in the colony, leading some to refer to it as "Booker's Guiana". Indentured workers were recruited from India from 1850 to 1920, and were largely locked in place. A minority achieved mobility. Some secretly fled; others waited until their contracts expired. Indian migration within

2378-421: The inland mines still operate narrow-gauge lines. The British long continued the forms of Dutch colonial government in British Guiana. A Court of Policy exercised both legislative and executive functions under the direction of the colonial Governor (which existed from 1831 to 1966). A group known as the Financial Representatives sat with the Court of Policy in a Combined Court to set tax policies. A majority of

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2436-413: The island. After Adolf Hitler ’s declaration of war against the United States on December 11, 1941, U-boat operations were extended to East Coast of the United States , Gulf of Mexico , and to the Caribbean. So Naval Base Trinidad became a key to keeping Panama Canal , Venezuela oil and the Caribbean open. The US Navy and US Army landed on Trinidad on September 2, 1940. Much of Naval Base Trinidad

2494-409: The judges on the tribunal acted improperly as a result of a back-room deal between Russia and Great Britain. The British Government rejected this claim, asserting the validity of the 1899 award. The British Guiana Government, then under the leadership of the PPP, also strongly rejected this claim. Efforts by all parties to resolve the matter on the eve of Guyana's independence in 1966 failed; as of today,

2552-487: The members of the Courts was appointed by the Governor; the rest were selected by a College of Kiezers (Electors). The Kiezers were elected, with the restrictive franchise based on property holdings and limited to the larger landowners of the colony. The Courts were dominated in the early centuries by the sugar planters and their representatives. In 1891 the College of Kiezers was abolished in favour of direct election of

2610-408: The new system provoked a serious constitutional crisis. The People's Progressive Party (PPP) won 18 of the 24 seats in the House of Assembly. This result alarmed the British Government, which was surprised by the strong showing of the PPP. It considered the PPP as too friendly with communist organisations. As a result of its fears of communist influence in the colony, the British Government suspended

2668-545: The northeastern coast of Brazil 16 bases, from the Brazil-United States Political-Military Agreement , agreed May 23, 1942. FPO# 335. Ecuador Emergency advance base Honduras advance base Colombia advance base Panama Naval Base Trinidad and its sub-bases had the role of both hunting for submarines and providing air cover for Allied convoys. Convoys traveling from Key West to Aruba and Trinidad were give

2726-404: The port was built, was building a naval air station and a seaplane base at Carenage Bay. The Gulf of Paria was used for major fleet anchorage. Carenage Bay was also built up as a major port with the construction of a 500-by-50-foot tender pier. Both bays had major dredging projects done, so the port could support large ships. A 200 men team worked full-time on a malaria reduction project, due to

2784-679: The program was called the Airport Development Program . The goal was to increase United States presence should the US enter the war. Once the US entered the war the US Army and US Navy did take over these Pan American Airways airports. Naval Base Santo Domingo was the other large Caribbean Naval Base. Secondary bases : Naval Base Trinidad headquarters managed and supplied logical support for subsidiary satellite Bases, also called emergency advance bases and NAAF Trinidad. Brazil Emergency advance bases (Naval patrol bases): On

2842-575: The rarest, most expensive stamps in the world, such as the unique British Guiana 1c magenta from 1856, which was sold in 2014 for US$ 9.5 million. [REDACTED] British Guiana travel guide from Wikivoyage 5°0′0″N 58°45′0″W  /  5.00000°N 58.75000°W  / 5.00000; -58.75000 NAF British Guiana The base also supported the United States Army Air Forces , United States Coast Guard , US Marine Corps and US Army . Naval Base Trinidad

2900-530: The sugar industry and others were built to serve the later bauxite and other mines. In 1948, when the railway in Bermuda was closed down, the locomotives, rolling stock, track, sleepers and virtually all the associated paraphernalia of a railway were shipped to British Guiana to renovate the aged system. The lines ceased to operate in 1972. The large Central Station is still standing in Georgetown. Some of

2958-550: The war effort. It also served as a refuge for Jews displaced from continental Europe, where the Nazis and Fascists worked to destroy them in the Holocaust. British colonists built the first railway system in British Guiana: 98 km (61 mi) of 1,435 mm ( 4 ft  8 + 1 ⁄ 2  in ) standard gauge , from Georgetown to Rosignol, and 31 km (19 mi) of 1,067 mm ( 3 ft 6 in ) line between Vreeden Hoop and Parika; it opened in 1848. Several narrow-gauge lines were built to serve

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3016-512: The war, like many other bases. Troops departed in 1967, the base closed in 1977, and the lease of the land was given up by the US in 1988. Today the base headquarters are a hotel and convention center. During that period, many calypsos made reference to the American presence in Trinidad . The Battle of the Atlantic began on September 3, 1939, and by 1941 the United Kingdom (UK) needed help in protecting shipping from British Overseas Territories . The British Overseas Territories had become

3074-423: The western boundary of British Guiana with newly independent Venezuela . Venezuela did not accept the Schomburgk Line , which placed the entire Cuyuni River basin within the colony. Venezuela claimed all lands west of the Essequibo River as its territory (see map in this section). The dispute continued on and off for half a century, culminating in the Venezuela Crisis of 1895 , in which Venezuela sought to use

3132-420: Was a US Naval Advance Base built to protect the shipping lanes to and from the Panama Canal from U-boat attacks, by sea and air. The base did fueling, loading and unloading of cargo ships. The base also became a repair depot, with auxiliary floating drydocks that were able to repair boats and ships in the field. Naval Base Trinidad was commissioned on June 1, 1941, and at its peak it had 135,000 troops on

3190-466: Was built by private contractors in 1941 and in 1942 expanded by the Seabees of Naval Construction Battalions. Naval Base Trinidad also was a training center for troops preparing for war. Trinidad supported US Navy subbases in St. Lucia and British Guiana . The base also supported emergency advance bases on the northeastern coast of Brazil . Naval Base Trinidad and seven other bases in the Caribbean became known as Destroyer Bases . This name came from

3248-467: Was given the nickname Serpent’s Mouth . German submarine U-161 , as part of Operation Neuland , operated off Trinidad. U-161 ' s second tour was in Caribbean Sea. On February 19, 1942 U-161 damaged the SS British Consul and SS Mokihana off Trinidad. Next she sank the SS Circe Shell , SS Lihue and tanker SS Uniwaleco off St Vincent . At St Lucia she damaged the Lady Nelson and Umtata while in harbor. On March 14, 1942, she sank

3306-511: Was one of then U-Boats to not be sunk during the war. German submarine U-156 on June 1, 1942, sank the SS Alegrete of St. Lucia. On June 3, 1942 U-156 sank the SS Lillian south of Barbados. On May 29, 1942 U-156 sank the SS Norman Prince off St. Lucia. On May 21, 1942 U-156 sank the SS Presidente Trujillo off Martinique . On February 20, 1942 U-156 sank the SS Delplata off Martinique. A sea plane sank U-156 on March 8, 1943 off Barbados. German submarine U-67 U-67 sank

3364-506: Was the site of a significant slave rebellion in 1823 . In the 1880s gold and diamond deposits were discovered in British Guiana, including what was thought to be the world's largest diamond in 1922. They did not generate significant revenue. Bauxite deposits proved more promising and would remain an important part of the economy. The colony did not develop any significant manufacturing industry, other than sugar factories, rice mills, sawmills , and certain small-scale industries (including

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