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The Montego Bay Conference
As part of the push to self-government, the British authorities supported the notion of confederation. The idea was not entirely new, and had been discussed in the Colonial Office since the late nineteenth century. It was raised again for serious discussion at a regional conference held at Montego Bay, Jamaica, in 1947. -
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Road to Federation
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SCAC Report
The Standing Closer Association Committee was established to plan a form of federation which would follow 2 main guidelines:(1) respect each territory's right to control its own affairs, unless there was agreement to allow central government handle a matter (2) keep each territory's movement to local self government seperate from the plans for the Federation. -
Major Conferences Related to Federation
The first major conference was held in London. Here the proponents of federation demanded that the powers being given to the governor general of the federation should be in the hands of the prime minister of the new federation. -
Major Conferences Related to Federation
A meeting was held in Trinidad and Tobago where the issue of "free movement" was the main issue discussed. -
Major Conferences Related to Federation
West Indian Leaders met in London for the last time before federation in 1958. Customs duties and excise taxes were the highly contentious issues. At this major conference the decisions were made which took away the powers that the SCAC report had intended to give to the federal government. -
British Caribbean Federation Act
Federation was established after the passing of the British Caribbean Federation Act of 1956. -
West Indies Federation Officially Established
The West Indies Federation was established in 1958. The federation was comprised of the ten territories: Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, the then St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla, Saint Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad and Tobago. The first Governor General was Lord Hailes of Britain and the Prime Minister was Sir Grantley Adams, (Premier of Barbados). The Federal capital was located in Trinidad and Tobago. -
Jamaica's Withdrawal from the Federation
On September 19, 1961, 54 percent of the Jamaican electorate voted to end their participation in federation. It was a low popular vote, but the government accepted the decision and initiated the plans to request complete independence for Jamaica. -
The End of Federation
Dr Eric Williams, the then Premier of Trinidad and Tobago, said that, one from ten leaves nought, referring to the withdrawal of Jamaica and signifying the decision to withdraw Trinidad and Tobago from the Federal arrangement a short while after Jamaica. The British dissolved federation in May 1962
