British colonial rule was established in St. Lucia in 1815. The island grew increasingly self-reliant throughout the twentieth century, participating in the West Indies Federation from 1958 until its collapse in 1962. Along with the other Windward Islands, St. Lucia became a federated state associated with the United Kingdom in 1967. Although it achieved independence in 1979, St. Lucia remains a member of the British Commonwealth.
Today the United States and St. Lucia enjoy cooperative relations and have signed several treaties concerning international crime and narcotics trafficking.
Recognition
U.S. Recognition of Saint Lucian Independence, 1979.
St. Lucia achieved full independence on February 22, 1979. The United States had previously informally recognized St. Lucia as a federated state of the British Commonwealth but did not formally recognize St. Lucian independence until the appointment of Sally Angela Shelton as American Ambassador to St. Lucia on May 17, 1979.
Consular Presence
The United States maintains no official presence in St. Lucia. The Ambassador and Embassy officers are resident in Barbados and frequently travel to St. Lucia.
Diplomatic Relations
U.S. Special Representative to Saint Lucia Appointed, 1977.
Frank V. Oritz, Jr. was appointed United States Special Representative to the States of Antigua, Dominica, St. Christopher-Nevis-Anguilla, St. Lucia, and St. Vincent on September 1, 1977. The appointment was concurrent to his positions as Ambassador to Barbados and to Grenada.
Diplomatic Relations Established, 1983.
Diplomatic relations were established on June 11, 1979, when Ambassador Sally Angela Shelton presented her credentials. All U.S. ambassadors to St. Lucia have been resident at Barbados.
Fils et filles de Sainte-Lucie
Fils et filles de Sainte-Lucie,
aime la terre qui nous a donné naissance.
Terre de plages, de collines et de vallées,
la plus belle île de toute la terre!
Partout où vous pouvez errer,
Amour, oh amour, notre île à la maison.
Fini le temps où les nations se battaient
Pour cette Hélène de l’ouest.
Fini le temps où les conflits et la discorde
atténué le travail et le repos de ses enfants.
Lève enfin un jour plus lumineux,
s’étend d’une manière nouvelle et heureuse.
Que le bon Dieu bénisse notre île,
protège ses fils du malheur et du mal.
Que notre peuple vive uni,
fort dans l’âme et fort dans le bras.
Justice, vérité et charité,
notre idéal soit pour toujours!
Sons and Daughters of Saint Lucia
Sons and daughters of Saint Lucia,
love the land that gave us birth.
Land of beaches, hills and valleys,
fairest isle of all the earth!
Wheresoever you may roam,
Love, oh love, our island home.
Gone the times when nations battled
For this Helen of the west.
Gone the days when strife and discord
dimmed her children’s toil and rest.
Dawns at last a brighter day,
stretches out a glad new way.
May the good Lord bless our island,
guard her sons from woe and harm.
May our people live united,
strong in soul and strong in arm.
Justice, Truth and Charity,
our ideal forever be!
[…] then full professor at Caltech before moving to the Ohio State University the following academic year in the same capacity. He is currently a professor at OSU’s Center for Cosmology and […]