Saint Lucia Colonial Records

British and French Colonization (1660-1979)
The French were the first Europeans to settle on the island. They signed a treaty with the native Island Caribs in 1660. England took control of the island from 1663 to 1667. In ensuing years, it was at war with France fourteen times, and the rule of the island changed frequently (it was ruled seven times each by the French and British). In 1814, the British took definitive control of the island. On 22 February 1979, Saint Lucia became an independent state and a member of the Commonwealth of Nations.