1675   Africans arrive via shipwrecked Dutch slave ship. They settled and inter married with Caribs,             Establishing a Black Carib Community – the Garifuna 1772   Attempts made by Britain to colonise the island but encountered  French settlers 1783   Finally ceded to Britain following numerous battles for possession with France 1796   Black Carib revolt crushed by Britain. 5,000 Black Caribs deported to Roatan (Honduras) Eruption of La Soufriere volcano, killing 2,000 people 1958   Member of the West Indies Federation 1969 Associated Statehood with Britain (full internal self-government) within WISA. Milton Cato, First Premier 1979   Independence achieved. Milton Cato, First Prime Minister