The United States and Barbados have had cordial bilateral relations since Barbados' independence in 1966. The United States has supported the government's efforts to expand the country's economic base and to provide a higher standard of living for its citizens. Barbados is a beneficiary of the U.S. Caribbean Basin Initiative. U.S. assistance is channeled primarily through multilateral agencies such as the Inter-American Development Bank and the World Bank, as well as the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) office in Bridgetown. History In the early 17th century Barbadians began large-scale migration from Barbados to the areas of North and South Carolina, becoming among some of the first resident settlers in those states. The first English settlement in South Carolina was made in 1670, when three shiploads of emigrants from Barbados sailed up the Ashley River. The first ship to land was the Carolina, in April 1670. It was followed shortly by the Port Royal and the Three Brothers. These three ships left Barbados with 150 people on board; two died en route. The settlers pitched their tents on its banks and built a town, which has since wholly disappeared. Ten years later, a more favorable site for the town, between the Cooper and Ashley Rivers, was chosen. This is where Charles Town was founded in 1680, where it remains today with the slightly altered name Charleston. Since the Barbadians had been in the "plantation" business for decades, they brought this concept and its associated culture to Charles Town in the 1670s. In 1751, George Washington visited Barbados. He stayed at what is now George Washington House (Barbados). The U.S. Government has been represented on Barbados since 1923. From 1956 to 1978, the United States operated a chemical weapons trade in Barbados. In 1993–94 Barbados was considering joining the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA). However, by 1996, this bid was put off in favour of the seeking admission to the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA). In May 1997, Barbadian Prime Minister Owen Arthur hosted U.S. President Bill Clinton and 14 other Caribbean leaders during the first-ever U.S.-regional summit in Bridgetown, Barbados. The summit strengthened the basis for regional cooperation on justice and counter narcotics issues, finance and development, and trade. Barbados receives counter-narcotics assistance and is eligible to benefit from the U.S. military's exercise-related and humanitarian assistance construction program. The U.S.-based telecommunications company Liberty Latin America (d/b/a Cable