Caribbean Studies - Module 1 - Periods of caribbean_history
caribbean history
1. Periods of Caribbean History
The Encounter: the Age of Discovery
The Settling Down: Colonization
Emancipation: Engaging in Freedom
Globalization: the Changing Encounter
2. Theme in Caribbean History
Migration
Genocide/Oppression
Resistance/Resilience
3. The Settling Down: Colonization
This was the 17th
, 18th
and 19th
century.
Other Western Europeans challenged the
authority of the Spaniards in the 'New World'
This brought a number of conflicts:
looting;plunder; raids and attacks from
privateers,pirates and buccaneers
An emphasis was made on colonization: by the
French, British and the Dutch.
Colonization meant that each Caribbean territory
was ruled or governed by Western European
Country
4. The Settling Down: Colonization
The significance of Historical Events and
Processes:
− European settlement and colonization
− Slavery
− The Sugar Revolutions (around 1640)
− The Development of the Plantation and Economy
and Society
5. The Settling Down: Colonization
Some significant historical events were:
− Various rebellions, maroon wars
− The Haitian Revolutions
− The Abolitions of the Slave Trade (1807 in the
British Colonies)
− Emancipation (1834 in British Colonies)
6. The Settling Down: Colonization
The Treatyof Tordesillas, 1494- divided the
'new world' between the Spanish and
Portuguese.
This blocked other Europeans from the wealth
of some islands.
Then the ruling colonizers could not supply the
region with the goods that was needed.
The trading agreement Asiento allowed: the
Portuguese, the Dutch and the British to trade.
7. The Settling Down: Colonization
The treaties were too weak to allow the Spanish to
continue the dominance because:
− The Britain and Netherlands disregarded the
treaties because they were ex-Roman Catholics
and it was the Pope who assign authority to the
treaties.
− France was Roman Catholic, but was in conflict
with the Vatican about the leadership in the
France Church.
− The wealth of the Indies made it impossible for the
Spanish to keep other countries out. Wealth was
too attractive for one Country to have it all
8. The Settling Down: Colonization
The British, Dutch and French who came to the
Caribbean to pillage, steal and smuggle defying
the treaties were, therefore, inte rlo pe rs- they
were there illegally.
They were successful at there quest because the
empire of the Spaniards was too huge and
unwieldly for the Spanish to police, govern and
supply effectively.
The Europeans then started to migrate to the
Indies in large masses of people. They laid claim
to the settlement where these immigrants settled.
9. The Interlopers
The first that came was:
− 'Poor white'
− Criminals
− Farmers
− Victims(of war,
poverty and
hardships in Europe)
They were contracted
as indentured servants
Indentured servants
were to:
− Plant tobacco
− Other crops
The claims were not
enough because of the
constant raids from
other Europeans
War broke out both in
Europe and in the
Caribbean.
10. The Result of the Wars
The treaty arrangement often involved
handing over territory to victorious
European powers.
Colonization
11. Discussion
Identify countries of the Caribbean that were
colonies of France, Britain, Spain and Dutch
European countries.
Are there any countries in the Caribbean that
are still colonies of any of the above?
Discuss using indentified territories how
colonization influence the country's culture and
society.
12. The Settling Down: Colonization cont'd
Migration: African
Slavery
− The Indenture
Servants were
reluctant and unable
to work. It was too
hard for them
− Indentureship
became very
expensive
− There was a swift
change from tobacco
cultivation to Sugar
This was called the
sugar revolution-1640.
− This created a
enormous and
mammoth vacuum
for labour that was
cheap and efficient.
− This change affect
life then and is still
having a significant
impact on society
and culture even
today.
13. The Migration: African Slavery
Reason for African
slavery:
− Slaves even though
they are expensive to
buy they eventually
were far more
economical
− Indentured servants
could not cope with
the bulk of work
− Little maintainance
− They were regarded
as inferior to other
races
− They were made for
the climate.
− They were physically
built for hard work.
14. The Migration: African Slavery
Slaves came primarily from West Africa:
− The gold coast
− The guinea coast
− Benin
15. To the 'New World'
The connection between sugar and slaves are seen
clearly in the Atlantic TriangularTradesystem around
two 'commodities' .
Ships left British 'slaving' ports of Bristol, London and
Liverpool laden with manufactured goods of gun, cloth
and utensils and made for the West African Coasts.
There they traded these goods for captured slaves. They
then made their way across the Atlantic to the Caribbean
and North American-this leg being known as the Middle
Passage-
Where the human Cargo was traded for raw sugar,rum
and molasses in the Caribbean and cotton and tobacco in
North America.
16. To the 'New World'
The ships then made their final leg to Britain
carrying these product to be refined, feeding
the industrialization.
It was noted that over 20 million African slaves
were captured and forced into the journey of
the Middle Passage
It is posited that this was the official genesis of
globalization- through the slave trades.
17. Genocide and Oppression:Slavery
More advance European weaponry gave
European slaver master superiority thus they
dominated the slaves.
The Africans were treated harshly,overworked,
beaten, tortured, and killed at the whim of
European.
18. Genocide and Oppression:Slavery
African were regarded as chattel, that is,
as property, not Human, and once born into
slavery could not escape.
Christianizing the slaves was apart of this
process.
19. Influence of slavery
It most be noted that slavery has a social,
cultural and economic impact on the
Caribbean both now and then.
THEN refers to the 17th
, 18th
and the early
19th
century.
NOWrefers to the contemporary life in the
Caribbean.
20. Influence of slavery
Economic- THEN
The plantation system-
slave labour
This was the economic
life- agricultural system.
Plantation was a
business
Plantations monopolize
the flat fertile coast,
where roads
settlements and ports
were established.
Economic- NOW
Sugar still dominate-
Guyana, Barbados,
Jamaica, Puerto Rico,
Cuba,Santo Domingo
and Belize.
Slavery was not
abolished in some
Spanish colonies until
the 19th
century- labour
was by freed slaves or
indentured servants.
21. Influence of Slavery
Social- THEN
Demographic
changes:
From white
dominating Caribs
and Arawaks
To White
dominating a large
enslaved population
Social life became
stratified according
to class and colour.
Social- NOW
African dominated
Whites in the
minority- top of the
social strata.
Ethnic group at the
top through social
mobility
Majority of people
living in poverty are
African and East
Indians.
22. Influence of slavery
Cultural-THEN
Cultural life, that is,
the dress, the
religion, food,
language, music
developed as a
syncretic mix of
European,
Indigenous and
African Traditions
Cultural- NOW
African traditions are at
the helm. Examples:
African dress and
fashion.
Revival of the Orisha
and other Afro-centric
religions.
Rastafarianism as an
African- based
philosophy in
opposition to
eurocentric values
23. Response to Slavery: Resistance and Resilience
You should note that they were few
rebellions that were successful during
Slavery.
However, they showed resilience and
resistance.
“African slaves resisted their predicament,
even when they appeared to be happy
and contented. Their forms of resistance
could be describe as passive, active, and
a combination of both known as
maroonage.”
24. Response to Slavery: Resistance and
Resilience
There were three ways that the slaves
resisted on the plantation:
Non-Violent
Violent Resistance
Maroonage
25. Non- Violent Resistance
Refusal to work
Evasion of work
Malingering
Deliberately losing tools and implements
Misunderstanding instructions
Composing songs that mimicked the whites
life style
suicide
26. Violent Resistance
Individual or group acts against white
persons.
In Jamaica there were numerous rebellions
between 1673 to Emancipation in 1834.
The revolution in Haiti mushroomed into war
between France and the slaves in 1791, the
slaves being victorious.
Read up on the Haitian revolution and its
impact on the society of slaves then.
27. Maroonage
Slaves ran away far from European society
They would wage wars in the form of attacks,
raids and inspiring rebellion on Estates.
In Jamaica maroon settlement were
successful in defending runaway slaves from
being recaptured.
They lived in inaccessible territories such as
the Blue Mountain and the Cockpit countries.
28. Resilience
Maroon communities maintained African
Culture as a way of life;
The slaves maintain life as usual:
− By establishing families;
− Support network of friends;
− Organize subsistent provision grounds;
− Sold some of their produce;
− Engage in forms of recreation for enjoyment.
29. Society and Culture Today
Caribbean people continue to resist oppression through
music and song- reggae and similar movements in Jamaica
music originated among the poor and the oppressed and so
too did the steelband and Calypso in Trinidad.
Resilience and resistance are shown through our
propensity to adapt.
European traditions may dominate, for example, Christian
faith, but they have been syncretized by other traditions,
example Rastafarianism.
32. What happened?What happened?
The British parliament abolished slavery in
1834, to take effect 1840.
The Apprenticeship System- designed to
facilitate the transition from a slave society to
one of a free man.
This was more to facilitate the planters more
than the slaves themselves.
33. Caribbean ResponseCaribbean Response
Barbados and Antigua abolished slavery without
the apprenticeship system.
This created difficulties:
Constant tension between whites and blacks
The rights of the newly freed were with held
because there were no representation in the
early emancipation.
Sugar price competition: from India, South
Africa,Australia(all apart of the British Empire)
and Cuba and Belize.
34. What Resulted?What Resulted?
The response of the ex-slaves varied
across the Caribbean.
Barbados and Antigua ex-slaves had no
choice but to continue working on the
Estates for wages
Wages were extremely low thus the
Majority of Africans lived in abject poverty.
35. What Resulted?What Resulted?
In larger territories such as Jamaica,
Trinidad and Guyana, the ex-slaves could
move away and set up their own small
provision grounds and maintained a
resilience, self-sustaining living.
The planter class in these countries faced
labour shortage.
The turn was to Indentured Servants.
36. IndentureshipIndentureship
Free labour was sourced from Africa, India
and china.
They were to work for 5 to 7 years for small
wages.
They were promise a free passage back
home or a piece of land.
They were treated harshly and inhumanely.
37. IndentureshipIndentureship
Most of the labour came from India.
Between 1838 and 1917 half a million were sent to Guyana to
work on sugar estates.
Approximately 145000 migrated to Trinidad
38000 to Jamaica; 2500 to Grenada and smaller numbers to
St Vincent and St Lucia.
Thousands of Chinese came to Trinidad, Jamaica and
Guyana.
38. Intra- Caribbean and MetropolitanIntra- Caribbean and Metropolitan
MigrationMigration
Over-population occurred due to the depression
in the economics of the plantation system.
There were several mass migration.
Thousands of Jamaican went to Cuba as
Labourers on newly established plantations.
Many Barbadians, Jamaicans and others went
to Panama in the 1900s to build the Panama
Canal
39. Intra- Caribbean and MetropolitanIntra- Caribbean and Metropolitan
MigrationMigration
The Caribbean benefited immensely from
remittances.
Many of the people did not return.
The largest migration was to the 'Mother
country' Britain.
This happened in the aftermath of World
War II (1939 – 1945).
The migration facilitated the rebuilding of
the country.
40. IIntra- Caribbean and Metropolitanntra- Caribbean and Metropolitan
MigrationMigration
In the 1960 and 1970s Britain and France
established stringent qualifications of entry.
The economic condition were not getting
better thus in the same period they turned
to Canada and the United States of
America.
These countries followed the trend of the
British and France government.
41. OppressionOppression
Indentured servants faced harsh living
They were given crowded barracks, meagre
wages, long hours of heavy manual labour.
Incurred many debts.
East Indian Indentureship ended in 1917 because
of the harsh treatment of Indians living abroad.
There was constant strain between the Africans
and the East Indians and the Planter Class.
42. Resistance and ResilienceResistance and Resilience
The African invested in Alternatives and
made attempts at economic diversification.
There was a great highlight of extreme
resourcefulness and entrepreneurial skills.
The development of a dynamic and
independent peasantry.
43. Resistance and ResilienceResistance and Resilience
The settled in Free Villages and bought out
bankrupt or abandoned sugar estates.
Some simple squatted on vacant land.
They cultivated traditional food and cash
crops, and banana, coconut, rice, and
arrowroot.
They also accept seasonal labour on the
estates.
44. Other ThingsOther Things
The East Indians introduced Rice:
Produced cocoa and ground provisions.
The Chinese moved into local commerce,
shops, laundries and restaurants.
45. Conclusion
The period of Emancipation: Engaging FreedomEmancipation: Engaging Freedom saw
increasing culture pluralism in the Caribbean.
The aftermath of slavery and Indentureship also saw
the different groups brought by the Europeans making
a bid to settle down and resist the negative influences
Europeans domination.
The economy became diversified as Caribbean
people became more resilient.
Freedom also meant emancipation from oppressive
economic policies and political freedom.
This era saw Caribbean people struggling for
economic survival, for the establishment of Trade
Unions and their own political parties.
48. Globalization: The ChangingGlobalization: The Changing
EncounterEncounter
The trend and occurrence of migration,
oppression resistance and resilience continues
in the 21st
century.
49. GlobalizationGlobalization
Connotes the following:
− Deepended interconnection and relationship
between all countries of the World.
− Cheap and efficient transport.
− Increase accessibility to the mass media.
− Increase in Information and Communications
technology (ICT).
50. Globalization: Caribbean styleGlobalization: Caribbean style
Drug trade has levied sanctions from the
United States of America
− The Shiprider Agreement gives the United
States armed forces the right to enter our
sovereign sea and air space to pursue and
arrest suspected drug traffickers.
There is increase deportation of Caribbean
nationals.
Globalization enables metropolitan countries
to intervene in the movements of Caribbean
people I and out of the region.
51. OppressionOppression
The impetus of Globalization came from the
industrialized world.
The tenets of globalization is in their interest to
eliminate trade barriers, to be able to move capital
quickly and locate their operations anywhere they
wish.
They are help in all this by the innovations of the
ICT.
Multinational Companies (MNCs) headquarters in
industrialized countries- dominated the world
economy.
Globalization made their presence hegemonic.
52. OppressionOppression
Caribbean countries like most developing
countries are caught in the bind.
Were were use to trading agricultural
produce with Britain and France. Things
changed with Globalization- preferential
treatment was anti globalization policies.
Preferential treatment was now thrown
through the door by the European Union
(EU).
53. OppressionOppression
To cope with the monolith, Caribbean
countries have had to align themselves with
various regional, sub-regional and bilateral
integration Schemes, such as:
− OESC
− CARICOM
− MERCOSUR
− ACS
− FTAA
54. OppressionOppression
In a globalized world the industrialized
countries benefit the most.
The activities of MNCs and the regulations of
organizations such as the EU and the World
Trade Organization (WTO) acts as a neo-
colonialist regimes.
Most Caribbean countries are independent
but economic ties are more binding. Tis is
similar to the plantation society and their
slave masters.
55. Resistance and ResilienceResistance and Resilience
Globalization is both a threat and an
opportunity for Caribbean states and has
generated a range of responses.
Caribbean countries have resisted by siding
with the countries of the global south
(developing) countries.
Cultural erasure has been combated by avid
efforts of Cultural retentions and cultural
renewal.
One cultural response is Rastafarianism- it
looks at capitalism as 'Babylon' and stress
peace.
56. QuestionsQuestions
What part do we play in the signing of the
Kayota protocol?
What other treaties or arrangements that
Caribbean countries have ratified that are
resistant to the ills of globalization?
57. Readings
Chapter four-Tracing history in the
Caribbean society and culture. Pages 93-
124. In Cape Caribbean Studies: An
Interdisciplinary Approach
Chapter three- History, Society and Culture.
Pages 52-87.Caribbean studies self study.
