Indigenous peoples, including Lokono and Kalina communities, lived in the region long before European colonisation. Dutch settlements developed along the Essequibo, Demerara and Berbice rivers during the seventeenth century, and Britain gained control during the early nineteenth century. The territory became known as British Guiana and its plantation economy depended first on enslaved African labour. Slavery ended in 1834, while the apprenticeship system continued until 1838. Plantation owners then recruited indentured workers, especially from India, as well as migrants from Portugal and China. These migrations created lasting cultural, religious and political communities. Guyana became independent from the United Kingdom on 26 May 1966 and became a republic on 23 February 1970. Its later history includes debates over political representation, ethnic relations, economic development, territorial claims and the management of offshore oil revenues.
History in Guyana
Guyana’s history was shaped by Indigenous societies, Dutch and British colonial rule, plantation slavery, migration and the struggle for self-government. Independence came in 1966, followed by the establishment of a republic in 1970. The country’s diverse population reflects these successive periods.
Tip
Use the history of Guyana as a timeline when you need to understand present-day society, politics or economic debates. Separate Indigenous history, Dutch and British rule, slavery, indentured migration, independence and later developments instead of treating them as one period. Pay particular attention to whose experience and interests a historical account represents.