British West Indies

It was hoped that the Federation would become independent as a single nation, but it had limited powers and faced many practical problems.

The territories that were part of the British West Indies are (date of independence, where applicable, in parentheses): The origins of the British West Indies lie in outposts established to support English pirates and privateers who were involved in raiding Spanish treasure fleets, and merchants interested in trade.

[6] Charles Leigh, an English merchant, established a short-lived settlement on the Wiapoco River in 1604 (now the Oyapock, which forms the border between French Guiana and Brazil).

[9] The capture of Jamaica in 1655 expanded British control beyond these small islands in the Lesser Antilles.

Stapleton's federation was active between 1674 and 1685, during his term as governor, and the General Assembly met regularly until 1711.

In 1869, Governor Benjamin Pine was assigned to organise a federation of Antigua-Barbuda, Dominica, Montserrat, Nevis, St. Kitts, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands.

St. Kitts and Nevis opposed sharing their government funds with Antigua and Montserrat, which were bankrupt.

Governor Pine told the Colonial Office that the scheme had failed due to "local prejudice and self-interest".

Like earlier groupings, this federation was unpopular but it continued until 1956, when it was redefined as the Territory of the Leeward Islands.

Barbados wished to retain its separate identity and ancient institutions, and the other colonies did not want to associate with it.

From 1885 to 1958, the Windward Islands Colony included Grenada, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and St. Lucia during the entire period.

British Honduras (later Belize) was surrounded by hostile Spanish colonies and needed the protection afforded by the Jamaican Army and Navy.

It increased in population partly by the settlement of Englishmen migrating from Jamaica in the late 17th and early 18th centuries (settlers also immigrated directly from England; others were born in the colony.)

As part of the arrangement more sovereignty was granted to the bloc of West Indies countries with the United Kingdom maintaining responsibility for defence and external affairs only.