Barbados Colonial Records

British Empire Colonization (1620s-1966)
Barbados was claimed from 1625 in the name of King James I of England, being established as a proprietary colony of Britain. Between 1958-1962, Barbados belonged to the West Indies Federation, a group of British colonies. In 1962, Barbados became a self-governing colony and then became an independent state in 1966. At that time, they joined the Commonwealth of Nations, with Queen Elizabeth II as their Monarch.