French settlers introduced masquerade balls as a pre-Lenten "farewell to the flesh". Enslaved Africans, banned from these events, observed them and began creating their own defiant rituals.
The "full story" of Carnival is one of transformation through struggle: Trinbago Carnival
After independence in 1962, Carnival was embraced as a symbol of national unity, blending African, Indian, European, and Indigenous influences. The Modern Celebration French settlers introduced masquerade balls as a pre-Lenten