In the days prior to the Europeans, the Carib Indians were native to St. Barts Island for hundreds of years. The small island was called St. Barts Ouanaloa, but Christopher Columbus changed the name after arriving in 1493. The current name of the small island came from his take on the original name, St. Bartholomé, after his brother. The French were the first major European power to take an interest in St. Barts Island. The French were intrigued by St. Barts Island’s special location within the West Indian Trade Route. Despite the lack of agricultural prosperity, the well-situated island post offered access to shipping lanes in a tumultuous and profitable part of the world. Disputes with natives on St. Barts Island were finally extinquished in the late 17th century with the establishment of a more formal colony.

St. Barts Island’s protected harbor through the 17th century until the island came to be worth more to others. France took the opportunity to trade St. Barts Island to Sweden in 1794 for port rights to Goteborg. King Gustav III took a first-hand role in developing the port and island (as it was their only outlet within the profitable Caribbean trade triangle). St. Barts Island grew exponentially. Gustavia (named for Gustav) turned to a thriving shipping and trading port within years of the massive investment. A series of setbacks, including fire and earthquake, in the 19th century sidetracked St. Barts Island’s growth. The resulting impact to St. Barts Island’s economy turned the small colony into a terrible financial burden to Sweden; Oscar II decided to take action and St. Barts Island was eventually sold back to France, who renamed it once again, Saint-Barthélemy.

Many of St. Barts Island few thousand residents are descendent from the original Norman and Breton settlers who first came to in the 1600s. The island also provides an outlet for many native French working in the Travel & Leisure industry. Tourism is an the most integral part of the island's economy, yet local government officials have done much to control the growth on St. Barts Island in an attempt to preserve the natural beauty of this Caribbean paradise.

St. Barts Island is a dependency island of Guadeloupe, which in turn is an Overseas Department and Region of France. As such, St. Barts Island participates in French elections. It has its own mayor, who is elected every seven years, a town constable, and a security force consisting of six policemen and 13 gendarmes. St. Barts Island and neighboring St. Martin comprise a Sous- Préfecture of Guadeloupe, which is administered by a Sous-Préfect who resides in St. Martin and has a representative on St. Barts.