Barbuda shares the West Indian culture of its larger neighbor, but its isolation has given it some peculiar traits. Most of its 1100 people share half a dozen surnames and can trace their lineage to a small group of slaves brought to the island in the late 1600s. Breeding experiments on the slaves produced a population of inordinately tall people.

As on most Caribbean islands, sugar cane once was a primary source of revenue and a booming industry; its heyday was from the mid 1600s to the mid 1700s when slavery was the norm. Sugar cane ceased production altogether on Antigua in 1972.

In September 1672 a decision was made by the governing Assembly that one slave for every eight owned by planters should be supplied for work on the erection of forts at Falmouth and St. John's. In case of attack from the Caribbean's or French, a fort was to be built on Rat Island in St. John's Harbor. In 1680, Colonel Vaughn gave St. John's Point to the King for a defense to be called Fort James. This fort was completed in 1704.

St. John's town had grown as large as Falmouth by 1689. Together, Falmouth and Parham were Antigua's foremost towns. But by the following year nearly the whole of St. John's was destroyed by a hurricane. Eighteen vessels ran aground; others just disappeared. The arduous task of rebuilding had to be started all over again.

In 1702 cross streets were laid by the military, a market was built and the town of St. John's was born. A clerk for the market was appointed who was also to be the public crier. Town wardens whose duty was to assess houses and land were elected and a cage, pillory, stocks, whipping post and ducking stool were placed at the public's expense on the corner of what is now Market and Church Street. Night watches were also appointed to have the same power as watchmen in London and a watch house built in this convenient spot.