Dr Rita Pemberton

FROM THE LAST four decades of the 18th century, the size and composition of Tobago's population were influenced by its acquisition by Britain in 1763, the subsequent introduction of plantation agriculture on the island, and the fortunes of the sugar industry across the 20th century. The division of the island into plantation lots, which were sold on the London market, was used to foster the development of the sugar industry during the second part of the 18th century, resulting in four major developments regarding the island's population.

The first was the demise of the First Peoples population whose rights to the land were not recognised. In fact, as far as the Europeans were concerned, the land was unoccupied. As a result, the First Peoples communities were squeezed out of existence by the expanding plantations. Their numbers were decimated in conflicts with the new occupants and the remainder sought refuge on the Spanish mainland.

Secondly, the new landowners, managers, attorneys and skilled tradesmen were mainly Scottish, who formed a part of the dominant ruling class and, despite their relatively small numbers, impacted the culture that developed on the island. Up to present day the Scottish presence on the island is recorded in place names, family names and the names of plantations. In addition, because the rough life on the island was not considered ideal for their womenfolk, there were few white women in Tobago.

Thirdly, the most significant population growth in 18th century in Tobago resulted from the introduction of captive Africans to provide enslaved labour to the rapidly expanding sugar estates. Consequently, the African population, which was ten times the size of the white population, became the island's numerically and culturally dominant group, and the basis for the formation of an African diaspora community on the island.

Whereas the white population was male dominated, the African population included both males and females. This factor, coupled with the shortage of white women, had implications for the later composition of the island's population.

During the period 1765 to 1808, most of the island's black population were African-born, but this changed after the termination of the British trade in captive Africans in 1808. In the ensuing years, as a result to the cession and mortality rates of the enslaved population, the number of African-born was reduced and that of the locally-born continued to increase. This occurred even though the number of African-born was increased by the introduction of 292 liberated Africans in 1852 and 225 from St Helena in 1862.

The fourth factor is the growth of a mixed-race (coloured) population on the island, which initially resulted from planter relationships with enslaved women. Particularly during the second half of the 19th century, mixed-race people enjoyed advantages in Tobago's society because of their colour, which placed them higher than blacks on the social ladder.

Colour became an important social issue on the isla