Afro–Antiguans and Barbudans are Antiguans and Barbudans of entirely or predominantly African (notably West African) ancestry. People in the country of Antiguan and Barbudan ancestry are known as Antiguan and Barbudan Creoles– this group includes people descended from slavery in the islands as well as white people descended from the island's plantocracy.
According to the 2011 census, 87% of Antigua and Barbuda's population is Black and 4.4% is multiracial.
Origins Most of the enslaved Africans brought to Antigua and Barbuda disembarked from the Bight of Biafra (22,000 Africans) and the Gold Coast (16,000 Africans). Other African slaves came from the Windward Coast (11,000 Africans), the West Central Africa (9,000 Africans), the Bight of Benin (6,000 Africans), Senegambia (5,000 Africans), Guinea and Sierra Leone (4,000 Africans).African origins of the slaves from British and former British Antilles
History Settlers raised tobacco, indigo, ginger, and sugarcane as cash crops. Sir Christopher Codrington established the first large sugar estate in Antigua in 1674, and leased Barbuda to raise provisions for his plantations. In the fifty years after Codrington established his initial plantation, the sugar industry became so profitable that many farmers replaced other crops with sugar, making it the economic backbone of the islands. Codrington and others brought slaves from Africa's western coast to work the plantations. Africans started arriving in Antigua and Barbuda in large numbers during the 1670s; they soon became the largest racial group of Antigua and Barbuda.
With all others in the British Empire, Antiguan and Barbudan slaves were emancipated in 1834, but remained economically dependent upon the plantation owners. Economic opportunities for the new freedmen were limited by a lack of surplus farming land, no access to credit, and an economy built on agriculture rather than manufacturing. Poor labour conditions persisted until 1939, when a member of a royal commission urged the formation of a trade union movement.
In the 20th-century was redefined the role of Afro–Antiguans and Barbudans. The colonial social structure gradually started to be phased out with the introduction of universal education and better economic opportunities.
Demographics +Afro–Antiguans and Barbudans by ParishParish NameCountsPercentageSaint John's City18,36684.86%Saint John Rural24,86184.31%Saint Mary6,75492.13%Saint George7,12289.29%Saint Peter4,93792.85%Saint Philip3,02891.15%Saint Paul7,40591.24%Barbuda1,54695.11% +Place of Birth of Afro–Antiguans and BarbudansParish NameAfricaOther Latin or North American countriesOther Caribbean countriesCanadaOther Asian countriesOther European countriesDominicaDominican RepublicGuyanaJamaicaMonsterratAntigua and BarbudaSt. Kitts and NevisSt. LuciaSt. Vincent and the GrenadinesSyriaTrinidad and TobagoUnited KingdomUSAUSVI United States Virgin IslandsNot StatedSaint John's City93611920331,0711391,7911,31122112,553861521430674230669170Saint John Rural1132022374491,340621,6141,61324417,5271202002860119131767128265Saint Mary341817252038283314345,470262019017361845239Saint George14369231223915273279615,4633711356031562444298Saint Peter26246001397324154223,870237410101514727114Saint Philip4214912814999262,44479180691231681Saint Paul11653122114912347391285,915303346018332195349Barbuda013300220391941,4096170061532
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