Like many island in the Caribbean, Grenada was not so much discovered by columbus as it was sighted by him. On his third voyage to the New World in 1950's, he passed by and named the island Concepcion. Because the island was inhabited by the cannibalistic Carib Indians, settlement by Europeans occured considerably later. The British tried to establish a toehold in 1609 but were chased off. Then in 1650, the French came ashore with baubles and booze to soothe the fierce Caribs.

The bribery tactic didn't have a lasting effect, and French soon found themselves in a runing battle with the Indians for control of the island, In 1651, the final clash took place in northern Grenada at Le Morne de Sauteur. It was here at Leaper's Hill that the Caribs, rather than submit to the questionable benefits of European colonisation, threw themselves - men, women, and children - over the edge of the cliff onto the rocks below.

Over the next century, Grenada's fortunes followed the political power struggles of the European powers, with Bratain and France exchanging possession of the island almost like clockwork. Finally, in 1783, the Treaty of Versailles awarded Grenada to britain, but the French heritage lives on in many of the geographical names and in the African/French patois still spoken by many. In 1967, Grenada became an associated state within the British Commonwealth. With this, the island nation gained control of its internal affairs, while the government of Britain continued to control external matters. Complete independence was achieved in 1974 under the leadership of Sir Eric Gairy - a charismatic and controvverisal figure who had been in the public eye since the early 1950s.