nevis history

Archeological records indicate that Nevis had a native population going back thousands of years. The Nevis museum displays evidence of this early habitation.

Christopher Columbus passed the island on his second voyage to the Caribbean. Seeing how the cloud-capped peak looked as though topped with snow, he named the island "Nieves" (Spanish for snow), which evolved over time into "(say NEE vis)".

The heart of Nevis history lies in the sugar trade starting in the 1700's and continuing through the mid 1800's. A British colony, Nevis enjoyed a reputation as one of the wealthiest of the new world holdings. This wealth was built on the unrelenting toil of thousands of slaves under the direction of their primarily British overseers. A complex history of battles between the French and English over St. Kitts and Nevis resulted in the British gaining the upper hand, which is why we drive on the left side of the road on Nevis today.

Today, Nevis and St. Kitts form an independent country, ideally sited for those seeking a pleasant destination in the sun. We invite you to explore the links to other Nevis sites for more information.