Barbados becomes republic, ends British rule News
fleglsebastian7 / Pixabay
Barbados becomes republic, ends British rule

Barbados swore in its first ever president on Tuesday, becoming a republic 55 years after the island first gained independence.

Queen Elizabeth was formerly the head of state of Barbados. However, Barbados swore in its first president, Sandra Mason, on Tuesday. This ended nearly 400 years of British rule.

With Prince Charles present for the declaration, Queen Elizabeth sent a message to the people of Barbados, congratulating them on their independence and their new president on her new position. She claimed that “the people of Barbados have held a special place in [her] heart,” while expressing her appreciation for the country’s culture.

She further highlighted the unchanged status of Barbados as a member of the Commonwealth. She stated that she looked forward to further cooperation between the two, highlighting the importance of combating climate change together.

New President Mason highlighted that forming this Republic has been a long-term goal of the people of Barbados. She said that she is optimistic that people who know “who [they] are and what [they] are capable of achieving” can achieve prosperity. She finally expressed the importance of the people of Barbados giving the republic its spirit and its substance and shaping its future.

 

THIS DAY @ LAW

Acts of Union creates Great Britain

On May 1, 1707, the two Acts of Union went into effect, implementing the Treaty of Union and thereby uniting the Kingdom of England and Kingdom of Scotland to create the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The Union with Scotland Act was passed by the Parliament of England in 1706, and the Scottish Parliament promulgated the Union with England Act. Learn more about the Acts of Union from the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

First US trade union formed

On May 1, 1794, the Federal Society of Journeymen Cordwainers (shoemakers) was organized in Philadelphia to negotiate wages for its members, becoming the first trade union in the United States.

Learn more about the history of the labor movement in the United States, and visit the website of the AFL-CIO, the federation of America's labor unions, representing more than 13 million workers.