1877 Saint Barthélemy status referendum
# 1877 Saint Barthélemy status referendum

A referendum on re-integration into France was held in the Swedish colony of Saint Barthélemy in late October 1877. The island had been a colonial possession of Sweden for nearly a century, but following the referendum in which only one person voted against the proposal, it was returned to France the following year.

## Background

The island had been part of the French West Indies until 1784, when it was transferred to Sweden in return for trade privileges in Gothenburg. However, the island proved expensive for Sweden to maintain. An agreement was made on 10 August 1877 on returning the island to French control, the first article of which included the requirement of a binding referendum.

## Results

| Choice | Votes | % |
| - | - | - |
| For | 350 | 99.71 |
| Against | 1 | 0.29 |
| Invalid/blank votes | | – |
| Total | 351 | 100 |

## Aftermath

The results were announced on 31 October 1877. Subsequently the French National Assembly approved the treaty on 22 January 1878. On 16 March 1878 the island became part of the jurisdiction of Guadeloupe and would remain so until 2003.

