Editing Patrick John (section)

==Premiership (1974–1978)==
John was elected to the [[House of Assembly of Dominica|House of Assembly]] from Roseau North Electoral District / Roseau North Constituency from 1 November 1970.<ref name="obituary">{{cite web |title=Let history judge Patrick John's failures and successes – Archdeacon Valentine Hodge |url=https://dominicanewsonline.com/news/homepage/news/let-history-judge-patrick-johns-failures-and-successes-archdeacon-valentine-hodge/ |date=30 September 2021}}</ref> He was appointed [[Deputy Prime Minister of Dominica|Deputy Premier]] and [[Minister of Finance (Dominica)|Minister of Finance]] in 1973. After the resignation of [[Edward Oliver LeBlanc|Edward O. LeBlanc]] in 1974, John succeeded him as [[Premier of Dominica]]. The [[Dominica Labour Party|Labour Party]] administration led by John founded [[National Bank of Dominica|Dominica's National Commercial & Development Bank]], and rid the capital city of Roseau of many shanty-type dwellings and replaced them with modern housing developments at Bath Estate and River Estate. John's government also opened a new deepwater harbour at Fond Cole and started the Dominica Social Security system.<ref name=":3" />

However, division grew in Dominica following the murder of a number of tourists in the mid-1970s and the emergence of a [[black power]] movement. John introduced legislation so broadly drawn that it even regulated acceptable modes of dress. Later, he indicated that revolutionary groups would not be tolerated.<ref>{{cite web |title=Index J |url=https://rulers.org/indexj.html}}</ref><ref name=":1" />  His reign as Premier and Prime Minister was regarded as one of the most tumultuous periods in Dominica's history. He was responsible for the infamous Prohibited and Undesirable Societies Act or "[[The Prohibited and Unlawful Societies and Associations Act|Dread Act]]", which was passed in 1974 and was meant to combat the lawlessness of countless Dominican youth.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Prime Ministers of Dominica|url=https://www.thedominican.net/galleries/leaders/john.htm}}</ref> That act made it legal to arrest any "Dread" without a warrant and deny bail to anyone wearing "a badge of the society" i.e. dreadlocks.<ref name=":3">{{cite news |last=Christian |first=Gabriel J. |title=The Rise & Fall of Patrick John |url=http://sundominica.com/articles/the-rise-fall-of-patrick-john-6277/ |work=The Sun Dominica |date=July 7, 2021}}</ref>