Joseph Chatoyer

Who was Joseph Chatoyer?

Joseph Chatoyer was a Garifuna chief who led a revolt against the British colonial government of Saint Vincent in 1795. He is now considered a national hero of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines also Belize and other Carib countries he fought for during the war.

For two centuries, the indigenous Carib population of the island succeeded in resisting European attempts at colonization by retreating to the mountainous, densely forested interior of the island. They were there joined by runaway African slaves, forming a unique new culture which combined elements of African and Amerindian heritage. By the 1770s, both Britain and France had made inroads on Saint Vincent. In 1772, the native population rebelled. Led by Chatoyer, the First Carib War forced the British to sign a treaty with them—it was the first time Britain had been forced to sign an accord with indigenous people in the Caribbean.

By 1795, it became apparent to the local population that Britain had no intention of keeping to the treaty and rose in rebellion. This time, however, the Caribs were joined by a group of French radicals inspired by the ideals of the French Revolution.