Emergence Antigua and Barbuda was first inhabited by the Archaic tribes before 3,600 BC. These people were hunter-gatherers and likely migrated from Central or South America. They were later replaced by the
Arawak of
Venezuela in about 500 BC. The
Kalinago also likely arrived in the archipelago in 1500 AD, and the Amerindians continued to inhabit Antigua and Barbuda in large numbers until the early 1700s. The first European settlers were
British, with the first evidence of colonisation being in 1632. The British and Amerindians did not have good relations, with frequent clashes between them resulting in large massacres committed by both sides. The first African slaves arrived in the 1670s, who became the majority by the 1680s. Linguistically, Antiguan and Barbudan Creole likely emerged in the 1680s when contact was made between speakers of the
Kwa languages and
Antiguan and Barbudan English. Antiguan and Barbudan Creole was spoken by both Africans and Europeans during this period, and the language developed into
more varieties eventually becoming its modern form by the 19th century.
National identity The idea of Antiguans and Barbudans being a distinct people first emerged in the 1730s with the foundation of the Antiguan independence movement by
Prince Klaas. At this time, persons from Antigua and persons from Barbuda–
Barbudans largely had little contact, although Barbuda had been subordinate to Antigua along with the rest of the
British Leeward Islands since its colonisation while functioning as a largely independent political entity. In 1860, Barbuda was officially annexed to Antigua, and over time, more people from the two islands began to interact. In 1951, all Antiguans and Barbudans were for the first time able to democratically govern themselves, and later achieved self-government in 1960; associated statehood in 1967; and independence in 1981.
Modern history Since independence in 1981, what it means to be Antiguan or Barbudan has been a major subject of debate. About a third of Antiguans and Barbudans are not descendants of slavery or the plantocracy, and in common discourse, most people not part of this group are usually deemed part of their ancestral nationality only. In terms of geography, there remains a significant cultural divide between the people of the two islands, with
Barbudan secessionism remaining a popular idea and major resistance in Barbuda towards large-scale non-Barbudan inhabitation.
Anti-Barbudan sentiment in the Antiguan government especially since 2017 has also resulted in a significant cultural divide. == Ethnic identity ==