Grantley Herbert Adams

Sir Grantley Herbert Adams ( born April 28, 1898 in Saint Michael, † November 28, 1971 ) was a Barbadian politician.

Adams grew up as the third of seven children in Barbados, then a British colony. In 1918 he received a scholarship, which allowed him to study law at Oxford. In 1925 he returned to Barbados to work as a lawyer. In 1929 he married Grace Thorne, his son Tom Adams, her only child, was born in 1931.

Adams stood up for the rights of the common people, which was in his opinion exploited by the white planter aristocracy. In 1934 he was first elected to the lower house of the colonial parliament in 1935 and 1936, he was re-elected. In 1937 there were riots after the black trade unionists Clement Payne was deported to Trinidad. Adams defended Payne in court and was later brought to the UK to report to the Colonial Secretary report. The political unrest led in 1938 to the establishment of the Barbados Progressive League. Adams, who was on business at the time of creation outside of the island, was first vice president of the party. After these had been reorganized in 1941 by Hugh Worrell Springer, he took over the leadership of the Party, which was renamed in Barbados Labour Party. In addition, he was also Chairman of the resulting from the Progressive League Barbados Workers' Union, the first union of the island, which he remained until 1954.

After various reforms and expansions of the franchise, including the 1951 full equal suffrage for all adults who confessed to the British colonial government in 1954, the internal self-government. Adams in 1954 was the first Prime Minister of the country, which he remained until 1958. As Barbados in 1958 one of the provinces of the independent United Kingdom West Indies Federation was, Adams was her first and only prime minister. After the federation was broken in 1962, Adams returned to the now independent Barbados.

Adams was raised in 1957 by Queen Elizabeth II for his services to Barbados and the Caribbean to knighthood. In memory of the work of Adams ' of the airport in Christchurch in 1976 was renamed the Sir Grantley Adams International Airport. In April 1998, the Parliament adopted a law on a Order of National Heroes, were explained by the 10 historical figures, including Adams and Springer on national heroes. As Adams Memorial Day was celebrated 100th birthday.