1877 Saint Barthélemy status referendum
A referendum on re-integration into France was held in the Swedish colony of Saint Barthélemy in late October 1877.[1] The island had been a colonial possession of Sweden for nearly a century, but following the referendum in which only one person voted against the proposal, it was returned to France the following year.[1]
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Return of Saint Barthélemy to France possession | |||||||||||||||||||
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Background
The island had been part of the French West Indies until 1784, when it was transferred to Sweden in return for trade privileges in Gothenburg.[1] However, the island proved expensive for Sweden to maintain.[1] An agreement was made on 10 August 1877 on returning the island to French control,[2] the first article of which included the requirement of a binding referendum.[1]
Results
| Choice | Votes | % |
|---|---|---|
| For | 350 | 99.71 |
| Against | 1 | 0.29 |
| Invalid/blank votes | – | |
| Total | 351 | 100 |
Aftermath
The results were announced on 31 October 1877.[1] Subsequently the French National Assembly approved the treaty on 22 January 1878.[1] On 16 March 1878 the island became part of the jurisdiction of Guadeloupe and would remain so until 2003.[1]
References
- St Barthélemy (France), October 1877: Integration into France Direct Democracy (in German)
- The Overseas Collectivity of St. Barthélemy St Barths Online
