Dominica Independence Day

This day marks independence from the United Kingdom in 1978. The Spanish first found the island, but didn’t make a serious effort to colonise due to a lack of national resources. The French showed an interest in the 17th century and established the first permanent European settlement in 1690. British gained possession in 1763 in accordance with the Treaty of Paris, which ended the Seven Years’ War, though it wasn’t until 1805 that the French gave up repeated attempts to recapture the island. In 1871, it became part of the British Leeward Islands removing the local control on the island. In 1978, it gained independence.