Grenada gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1974.
The independence date was 7 February 1974, when Grenada became a fully sovereign state. Eric Gairy, leader of the Grenada United Labour Party, became the country’s first prime minister. Grenada retained a constitutional system modeled on Westminster parliamentary government and remained a member of the Commonwealth.
Independence followed several stages of constitutional development. Grenada was part of the Federation of the West Indies from 1958 to 1962, then became an Associated State of the United Kingdom in 1967 with control over its internal affairs. Full independence came seven years later.
A common mix-up is 1979, when the New Jewel Movement overthrew Gairy’s government and established a revolutionary government. That coup changed Grenada’s political system but did not mark independence. Another major turning point came in 1983, when a U.S.-led Caribbean force intervened after internal violence and a second coup.