NORTH AMERICA
Canada (as it now is)
British Columbia *1821 – claimed by Hudson's Bay Company (HBC) as New Caledonia
1859 – proclaimed as a separate colony
1866 – formally united with Vancouver Island
1871 – joins Dominion of Canada
Hudson's Bay Territories
*1670 – HBC granted sovereign rights and Hudson's Bay becomes known as Prince Rupert's Bay
1760 – HBC open up Northwest Territories
1821 - HBC control Northwest Territories
1869 – new Dominion of Canada buys out HBC with much of
Prince Rupert's Land becoming Manitoba
New Brunswick
[1604 – French; New Brunswick combines with Nova Scotia to form French colony of Acadia]
*1713 – Acadia ceded to Britain
1784 – separated from Nova Scotia
Newfoundland
1537 – English claim sovereignty
*1739 – first permanent settlement
1809 – Labrador incorporated
1855 – self-government
1867 – refuses to join new Dominion of Canada
1917 – granted dominion status
1934 – status withdrawn and administered by nominated commissioners
1949 – integrated with Canada
Nova Scotia
[1604 – French; Nova Scotia combines with New Brunswick to form French colony of Acadia]
*1621 – Britain controlled this part of Acadia and called it New Scotland
1632 – reverts to France
1654 – taken back by British
1667 – back to France
1713 – ceded to Britain except Cape Breton Island
1758 – Cape Breton Island ceded to Britain and amalgamated with Nova Scotia (detached again in 1784 but re-amalgamated in 1820)
1763 – Prince Edward Island becomes part of Nova Scotia
1769 – Prince Edward Island ceases to be part of Nova Scotia
1784 – New Brunswick ceases to be part of Nova Scotia
1867 – enters new Dominion of Canada
Ontario
*1763 – ceded to Britain from France
1791 – renamed Upper Canada
1867 – enters new Dominion of Canada as Ontario
Prince Edward Island
*1758 – controlled by Britain; known as Ile St-Jean as formerly under French control
1763 – annexed to Nova Scotia
1769 – becomes separate Crown Colony
1798 – renamed Prince Edward Island
1873 – enters Dominion of Canada
Quebec
[1535-1759 – French and known as New France ]
*1759 – becomes British
1763 – named Quebec
1791 – named Lower Canada
1846 – named Canada East
1867 – named Quebec; enters new Dominion of Canada
Vancouver Island
*1821 – HBC claim it as part of New Caledonia
1849 – becomes a Crown Colony
1866 – formally united with British Columbia
Note too that the legal definition of the Dominion Status granted to Canada in 1867, Australia in 1901, New Zealand in 1907 and South Africa in 1910, was also hazy until 1931, when the Statute of Westminster established it as synonymous with total independence. The dates of accession to Dominion Status can thus be assumed to be the dates of independence.
USA (as it now is)
The Thirteen Colonies – Virginia – *1607-1776
Massachusetts*1629-1776
Maryland *1632-1776
Rhode Island *1636-1776
Connecticut*1639-1776
North Carolina *1663-1776
Delaware *1664-1776
New Jersey *1664-1776
New York *1664-1783
South Carolina *1665-1776
New Hampshire *1680-1776
Pennsylvania *1687-1776
Georgia *1732-1776
Greenland
Has never been part of the British Empire
MIDDLE AMERICA
Anguilla
*1650 – first settlers
1713 – formally recognised as British possession
1825 – merges with St Christopher-Nevis
1871-1956 – administered as part of Leeward Islands
1958-1962 – part of British West Indies Federation
1967 – unilaterally declares independence because of unhappiness at being merged with St Christopher-Nevis; Britain sends troops
1980 – separates from St Christopher-Nevis; still an overseas territory
Antigua
*1632 – colonised, with Barbuda; administered as part of Leeward Islands until 1956
1958-1962 - part of British West Indies Federation
1981 – independence
Aruba
[According to Encyclopaedia Britannica on-line Aruba came briefly under British rule during Napoleonic Wars but was returned to The Netherlands in 1816
Bahamas
*1629 – first settlers arrive
1783 – becomes a Crown Colony
1973 - independence
Barbados
*1627 – occupied by British
1662 – becomes a Crown Colony
1966 – independence
Belize
British Honduras *1638 – British settlement starts (formerly Spanish)
1862 – formally becomes colony of British Honduras administered from Jamaica
1884 – administered separately
1953-1956 – part of British West Indies Federation
1981 – independence as Belize
Bermuda
1609 – claimed by English
*1612 – settled by London Company
1684 – declared Crown Colony; still an overseas territory
Cayman Islands
1670 – gained from Spain and becomes a dependency of Jamaica
*1734 – British actually start to settle in area
1859 – becomes a Crown Colony; still an overseas territory
Costa Rica - Never part of the British Empire
Cuba - Never part of the British Empire
Dominica
*1815 – granted to Britain after many years of dispute between Britain and France
1871-1939 – administered as part of Leeward Islands
1939-1958 – administered as part of Windward Islands
1958-1962 – part of British West Indies Federation
1978 – independence
Dominican Republic - Never part of the British Empire
El Salvador- Never part of the British Empire
Grenada
*1762 – taken from French
1779 – restored to France
1783 – ceded to Britain
1885 – becomes Crown Colony and is administered as part of Windward Islands
1958-1962 - part of British West Indies Federation
1964 – independence
Guadeloupe - Never [really] part of the British Empire [they did invade a few times!]
Guatemala- Never part of the British Empire
Haiti- Never part of the British Empire
Honduras- Never part of the British Empire
Jamaica
*1655 – captured from Spanish
1670 – confirmed as British under Treaty of Madrid
1866 – Crown Colony status
1958-1961 - part of British West Indies Federation
1962 - independence
Martinique France- Never part of the British Empire
Mexico- Never part of the British Empire
Montserrat
*1632 – colonised
1664 – held briefly by French
1667 – held briefly by French
1782 – held briefly by French
1783 – confirmed as British
1871-1956 – administered as part of Leeward Islands; still an overseas territory
Netherlands Antilles- Never part of the British Empire
Nicaragua- Never part of the British Empire
Panama- Never part of the British Empire
Puerto Rico- Never part of the British Empire
St Kitts - Nevis
St Christopher –Nevis/St Christopher & Nevis
*1628 – first English settlers
1713 – formally ceded to Britain under Treaty of Utrecht
1825 – merged with Anguilla
1871-1956 – administered as part of Leeward Islands
1958-1962 – part of British West Indies Federation
1980 – separated from Anguilla
1983 – independence as St Kitts and Nevis
St Lucia
*1814 – officially ceded by France to Britain (power between two nations over this territory having oscillated since late 17th century); becomes part of the Windward Islands
1979 - independence
Sta Pierre & Miquelon- Never part of the British Empire
St Vincent & the Grenadines
St Vincent
*1773 – becomes British
1855 – administered as part of the Windward Islands
1979 – independence as St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad & Tobago
Tobago
*1814 – British possession (formerly Dutch)
1888 – merged with Trinidad as Crown Colony of Trinidad and Tobago
1958-1962 – part of British West Indies Federation
1962 – independence as Trinidad and Tobago
1980 – granted self-government by Trinidad
Trinidad
*1797 – seized from Spanish
1802 – formally recognised as British
1888 – linked with Tobago as Crown Colony of Trinidad and Tobago
1958-1962 – part of British West Indies Federation
1962 – independence as Trinidad and Tobago
Turks & Caicos Islands - According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica online from 1874 - 1959 the colony was under the authority of the British governor-general at Kingston, Jamaica, from 1962 it was a crown colony and it continues as a British overseas territory
Virgin Islands
British Virgin Islands
*1766 – seized from Dutch and administered as part of Leeward Islands; still an overseas territory
Windward Islands - independent in 1979 [see separate entries above]
Countries within British Empire for purposes of this research:
Anguilla
Antigua
Bahamas
Barbados
Belize
Bermuda
Cayman Islands
Dominica
Grenada
Jamaica
Montserrat
St Kitts - Nevis
St Lucia
St Vincent and the Grenadines
Trinidad and Tobago
Turks & Caicos
Virgin Islands
Windward Islands
Countries that are OUTSIDE the British Empire for purposes of this research:
Aruba
Costa Rica
Cuba
Dominican Republic
El Salvador
Guadeloupe
Guatemala
Haiti
Honduras
Martinique France
Mexico
Netherlands Antilles
Nicaragua
Panama
Puerto Rico
Sta Pierre & Miquelon
SOUTH AMERICA
Argentina
Never part of the British Empire
Bolivia
Never part of the British Empire
Brazil
Never part of the British Empire
Chile
Never part of the British Empire
Colombia
Never part of the British Empire
Ecuador
Never part of the British Empire
Falkland Islands
*1771 – British establish settlements (after competing with French and Spanish)
1774 – settlements abandoned
1832 – newly independent Argentina claims islands so Britain sends
expedition and declares a Crown Colony; still an overseas territory
French Guiana
Never part of the British Empire
Galapagos Islands Ecuador
Never part of the British Empire
Guyana
British Guiana
*1803 – in British control (formerly Dutch)
1831 – colony of British Guiana is formally created
1966 – independence as Guyana
Paraguay
Never part of the British Empire
Peru
Never part of the British Empire
South Georgia
Falkland Island Dependencies
*1775 onwards – overseas territory; includes South Georgia, South
Sandwich Islands, Antarctic Territories
Surinam Suriname
Never part of the British Empire
Uruguay
Never part of the British Empire
Venezuela
Never part of the British Empire
