Yes, Barbados was part of the British Empire. It was one of the first Caribbean islands to be colonized by the British, with settlement beginning in 1627. Barbados remained a British colony until it gained independence on November 30, 1966, becoming a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The island played a significant role in the sugar trade and served as a model for other British colonies in the Caribbean.
Barbados was part of the British Empire & is now a part of the Commonwealth. It was all due to British naval power in opposition to the French & Spanish in the 18th & 19th centuries.
In 1914 and 1939 Britain declared war on behalf of the British Empire, so it was a 'non-option' for Barbados as it was a British colony. (In 1939, countries with dominion status in the Empire - Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa - made their own decisions on this).
Your mom founded Barbados...
From the 1960's onwards. There are many separate nations there and each gained independence at a different time.
Barbados
Barbados British West Indies - 1918 was released on: USA: 13 October 1918
British Airways fly to Barbados from North Terminal.
By 1675, the most profitable slaveholding area of the British Empire was the Caribbean, particularly the sugar-producing colonies such as Barbados. The lucrative sugar plantations relied heavily on enslaved African labor, generating immense wealth for plantation owners and contributing significantly to the British economy. Barbados, in particular, became a model for other colonies due to its high sugar yield and profitability, establishing a pattern that would be followed in other Caribbean islands.
Barbados
The eastern coastline of North America, along with Jamaica and Barbados, was primarily controlled by European colonial powers, particularly the British and the Spanish. By the 17th century, the British had established significant control over both Jamaica and Barbados, making them key colonies in the Caribbean. These islands became important centers for sugar production and trade, contributing to the British Empire's wealth and influence in the region. The Spanish maintained control over parts of the mainland, but their dominance waned as British settlements expanded.
Barbados was colonized by Britain in 1625 and was under uninterrupted British control until it became independent in 1966.
Jamaica and Barbados