Leapers' Hill
Leapers' Hill ''' is a historic site near Sauteurs, Grenada, where a band of forty Kalinago jumped to their death to avoid capture by the French colonists.
History
In 1649 the first colony on the island of Grenada was established by Du Parquet, the following year Du Parquet bought the island from the Compagnie des Isles d’Amérique. The French were treated favourably by the Kalinago under their King Kaïrouane, who signed a peace treaty with the French. However soon after the Kalinago realised that the French were not to be staying temporarily but permanently, this resulted in Kalinago attacks on the French colonists.On the 30th of May 1650 the French were informed of the Kalinago camp by a Kalinago man by the name of Thomas, who had joined the French side allegedly due to being rejected by Chief Duquesne’s daughter. The French then pursued the Kalinago to the northernmost edge of the island. About forty Kalinago survivors including Kaïrouane made it to Leapers' Hill and with no other choice they jumped off, falling into the waters below.
The event at Leapers' Hill was a turning point in the colonisation of the island of Grenada, the remaining Kalinago lived in isolated groups and eventually mixed in with the main black population. The French had cleansed the island of most of the Kalinago and the Kalinago culture.