Anglophone Caribbean Flashcards
(15 cards)
Archipelago
an archipelago is a chain, cluster or collection of islands that are close together in a body of water
Caribbean archipelago extends through 3,000 km
today, English is a official language of 18 territories inhabited by about 6 million people
intervisibility (archipelago)
travelling along the archipelago, when it´s almost always possible to see the next island
1492 - Christopher Columbus arrived
before his arrival, the Caribbean islands were inhabited by various indigenous groups, including the Taíno, Arawak, and Carib peoples
the population of these islands was estimated to be around 2 million people, with significant communities on islands such as Hispaniola (modern-day Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico
Christopher Columbus, an Italian explorer funded by Spain, believed he had reached Asia, specifically “the Indies” (a term used at the time to refer to parts of Asia, particularly India). This is why the Caribbean islands were initially called the “West Indies
diseases and population of Hispaniola
1496 - c.1-2 million
1508 - 60,000
1518 - 11,000
1570 - a few hundred
before 1600 - early English presence
limited to pirates and raiders
English pirates, often with tacit approval from the English crown, attacked Spanish ships and settlements, seizing wealth and disrupting Spain’s dominance in the region
this period saw figures like Sir Francis Drake, who famously raided Spanish possessions in the Caribbean
Establishment of English Colonies - tobacco plantations
within a few decades, most of these colonies transitioned to sugar production
1624 - St Kitts
also known as Saint Christopher Island, was the first English colony in the Caribbean, establied by Sir Thomas Warner
1627 - Barbados
it was initially focused on tobacco cultivation, but it later (1640s) became famous for sugar production and it set the stage for its adoption across other Caribbean islands
1628 - Nevis
1632 - Antigua and Montserrat
monoculture of sugar
the term “monoculture” refers to the agricultural practice of growing a single crop over a large area for an extended period, other types of agriculture were largely neglected
Expansion of English Colonization
as the sugar industry boomed, England sought to expand its control over more Caribbean islands to capitalize on this lucrative crop
new colonies were established in
1648 - Bahamas
1650 - Anguilla
1655 - Jamaica
1670 - Cayman Islands
1685 - Barbuda and eastern Virgin Islands
1756 - 1763 Seven Years´ War and Caribbean
a global conflict involving most of the great powers, ended with the Treaty of Paris in 1763
as part of the treaty, Britain gained control of several French and Spanish Caribbean islands, including Dominica, St. Vincent, Tobago, and Grenada
absenteeism
refers to the practice where wealthy plantation owners appointed local managers to run their estates while they themselves returned to live in Britain or other parts of Europe
this was common among the wealthiest planters who preferred the comforts and social life of Britain over the harsh conditions of the Caribbean
Why did the planters not join the American War of Independence (1775-1783)?
in the Caribbean, enslaved Africans vastly outnumbered the white population, sometimes by a ratio of 10 to 1 → the planters were deeply concerned that any instability, such as a rebellion against British rule, could lead to slave uprisings
the British military presence was crucial in maintaining order and preventing potential revolts
the Caribbean colonies were deeply tied to the British economy, particularly through the sugar trade. Sugar was the most profitable export of the Caribbean, and Britain was the primary market for this sugar
1834 - Abolition of Slavery
in 1834, the British Empire officially abolished slavery through the Slavery Abolition Act
this law made it illegal to own, buy, or sell slaves, marking the end of legal slavery in British colonies, including those in the Caribbean
the British decided to abolish slavery because of growing pressure from abolitionists who argued that slavery was morally wrong and inhumane
The Apprenticeship System
under this system, former slaves were required to continue working for their former owners without pay, though they were now considered “apprentices” rather than slaves
the idea behind the Apprenticeship system was to gradually transition from slavery to full freedom, it was intended to give plantation owners time to adjust to the loss of free labor
in reality, this system was heavily criticized because it essentially extended the exploitation of former slaves
an exception after abolition (1834) - Trinidad
plantation owners in Trinidad, like in other parts of the Caribbean, faced a severe labor shortage because the newly freed slaves were no longer forced to work on the plantations
to address this, the planters started bringing in indentured laborers from India
these laborers were bound by contracts, typically for five years, during which they worked on the plantations in exchange for wages, housing, and a return passage to India
