Georgetown: History

Pre-20th-Century History

Both Carib and Arawak tribes inhabited the land that is now Guyana before the Dutch arrived in the late 16th century.

Following a period of British rule, Georgetown was claimed and renamed La Nouvelle Ville by the French in the 18th century. Soon after, Georgetown and the fledgling colony were recaptured by the Dutch in 1784 and renamed Stabroek. The population grew rapidly and the city expanded.

Before long, the English reclaimed the territory and in 1812 the town had its final name change, in honor of King George III.

After the abolition of slavery (1834), Africans refused to work on the plantations for wages, and many established their own villages in the bush. Plantations closed or consolidated because of the labor shortage. A British company, Booker Bros, resurrected the sugar industry by importing indentured labor from India, drastically transforming the nation's demographic and laying the groundwork for fractious racial politics that continue to be a problem today.

Modern History

In 1945 a massive fire broke out at Bookers Drug Store. Fuelled by the vats of alcohol stored on the premises, the fire spread rapidly through the surrounding timber buildings. By the time it was finally put out it had scorched a devastating path through the city. Much of Georgetown's unique architecture was destroyed, along with key historical books and documents.

British Guiana was run very much as a colony until 1953, when a new constitution provided for home rule and an elected government. Ten years later, riots left almost 200 dead after black laborers were hired to replace striking Indian plantation workers. In 1966 the country became an independent member of the British Commonwealth with the name Guyana, and in 1970 it became a republic with an elected president.

Recent History

Elections scheduled for January 2001 were delayed for two months, a move that antagonized already sensitive race relations. Entire blocks of Georgetown were set ablaze by opposition supporters as the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic was declared victor of a third consecutive term; police and protesters clashed in the capital for weeks.

In January 2005 Georgetown and areas along the east coast were overwhelmed by rising floodwaters. Caused by heavy rains and exarcerbated by poor drainage systems, the flood highlighted the country's weak infrastructure. Parts of the city are still recovering from the damage caused.

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