Before European contact, the Caribbean islands were inhabited by indigenous peoples, including the Taíno and the Kalinago (Caribs).

The arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 marked the beginning of European colonization.

The indigenous population was decimated by European diseases, to which they had no immunity, and by brutal colonial policies.

The Caribbean became the center of the European sugar plantation economy.

To provide labor for the sugar plantations, millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to the Caribbean.

The region was a major zone of conflict between rival European imperial powers, including Spain, Britain, France, and the Netherlands.

The history of the Caribbean is marked by constant slave resistance, from rebellions to the formation of 'maroon' communities of escaped slaves.

The Haitian Revolution (1791-1804) was a successful slave rebellion that established the independent republic of Haiti.

The abolition of slavery occurred throughout the region in the 19th century.

The Caribbean today is a region of diverse, multicultural societies forged by the legacy of colonialism and resistance.