History of Turks and Caicos

You may be wondering where Turks and Caicos is located. I have included a map below for your reference. The islands are approximately 650 miles southeast of Miami. They are officially a British Overseas Territory. The islands were first settled sometime between AD 500 to 800 by the Taino people who came over from the island of Hispaniola. In 1521 Spanish conquistador Ponce de Leon sighted the island and soon the Spanish began capturing the native people and used them as slaves to replace the slave population in Hispaniola. By 1513 the population of the islands waned and remained that way until the 17th century. During the 18th century pirates used the islands as a hiding place and soon after the British began developing salt production on the island for export. Slavery was banned in 1807 in Great Britain and became illegal in its British colonies by 1833. Today the islands are known for their tourism, beautiful sand beaches, and blue water. I am so excited to see the islands in person and learn more about the history and the beauty of this location.