Following the European expansion into the new world, Grenada had become a French colony and before being formally ceded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris in 1763. 

Independence for Grenada from the United Kingdom was granted on February 7th 1974. Eric Gairy became the first Prime Minister. Following Gairy’s victory in the elections of 1976, opposition parties refused to accept the result, accusing the government of electoral fraud. 

Gairy was deposed in a coup in 1979 by the left-wing People’s Revolutionary Government (PRG). Its leader, Maurice Bishop, declared himself prime minister. In 1983, there was discontent from within the PRG who felt that under his leadership Grenada was not becoming socialist enough and on October 19th 1983, a coup backed by the Grenadian army took over control and put Bishop under house arrest. Large demonstrations took place following his arrest and he was freed from house arrest during one of the demonstrations. He was soon recaptured and was executed by firing squad. 

The US and other nations in the region were incensed by the killing of Bishop and also feared the rise of another communist state like Cuba. Therefore on October 25th 1983, a coalition of Caribbean and US forces invaded Grenada in ‘Operation Urgent Fury’ to oust the government. 

After taking control and instating an interim administration, the foreign troops left Grenada in December 1983 and elections to restore democratic rule to Grenada took place in December 1984.