Saint Barthelemy Colonial Records

French Colonization (1648-present)
French settlement of Saint Barthelemy began in 1648. In 1674, the islands were added to the colony of Guadeloupe when they became part of the French Kingdom. The French traded the island to Sweden in 1784. In 1878, Sweden gave the island back to France, and it was again administered as part of Guadeloupe. In 2007 Saint Barthelemy became an Overseas Collectivity of France, and in 2012 left the EU and became an Overseas Country or Territory.

Swedish Colonization (1784-1878)
The French traded Saint Barthelemy in 1878 to the Swedes in exchange for trading rights in Gothenburg. The island was given back to France in 1878, following a referendum in 1877.