The first known residents of the Turks and Caicos Islands were the Taíno Indians. However, the Tainos quickly disappeared upon Columbus’ arrival to the Turks and Caicos islands. Many island residents claim that Turks and Caicos was the first island arrived at in the “New World”; a statue making this claim is located on the island of Grand Turk. Upon Columbus's arrival, the Taino Indians were either taken into slavery by the Europeans or succumbed to the diseases that the Europeans brought with them.

Over the next few hundred years, rights to the islands bounced between France, Spain and England; finally ending up with the British. During this time, development of the islands slowed, as they were not on any sailing routes, did not have any gold and had poor weather for sugar production on the island. The population of the Turks and Caicos islands was practically zero until 1678 when sailors from Bermuda arrived and began extracting salt and logging trees. Salt traders then began significant work on the Turks and Caicos islands and created the salinas (salt-drying pans) that are still in use in much of the Caribbean.

The Bermudans prospered, drawing the attention of the governments of both Spain and the Bahamas. In 1766, the Bahamian government took over jurisdiction of the Turks and Caicos islands. As the islands begin to be home to a number of wealthy salt merchants, the Turks and Caicos began to be a base for pirates who often robbed the salt merchant’s homes. The actions of the pirates prompted the French to attack the island but they were quickly defeated by the existing British Navy.

The Turks and Caicos Island’s political situation continued to be rather fluid. In 1799, they became a formal part of the Bahamas, but just 50 years later residents filed a petition to become self governing and overseen by the Governor of Jamaica. Soon thereafter, the islands were annexed to Jamaica and retained a close relationship with the country until 1973 when they became a separate Crown Colony of Great Britain.

The islands' history over the last five decades has been largely uneventful; the most significant event being astronaut John Glenn’s landing in nearby waters in 1962. During this time, the island has become a destination for wealthy Americans such as the son of Teddy Roosevelt and members of the Dupont family. The island’s fate as a popular vacation destination was sealed in 1984 with the opening of Club Med; which began in earnest the boom in popularity of the Turks and Caicos islands among Caribbean travelers.