Module 1 Flashcards
(24 cards)
What are the different ways of defining the Caribbean?
- Geographic definition: The central identifying is the Caribbean Sea, rimmed by islands and the mainland territories. Also has to do with coordinates.
- Geological definition: It is defined by the Caribbean plate, and those that experience similar tectonic, seismic, and volcanic features and processes.
- Historical Definition: This refers to those that have experienced European colonisation (English, French, Dutch and Spanish), and those that have experienced slavery, indenturship and colonization.
- Political Definition: Defining the Caribbean by the main government systems: independent, associated, and colonial dependencies.
- Diasporic Definition: The Caribbean diaspora refers to the migration of Caribbean people to many countries of the world. These people, despite now living elsewhere, still identify themselves in some way with the Caribbean region. In this way, the Caribbean can be defined as a transnational community extending to these overseas communities.
What are the limitations of each definition?
Geographic:
Guyuna and the Bahamas are excluded due to not being rimmed by the sea, but they are accepted as part of the Caribbean.
Includes Panama, Colombia, and other Central American countries.
Geological:
The western edge of the Caribbean plate is located in the pacific ocean and includes Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama.
Leaves out Bahamas, Belize, and Cuba.
Historical:
Political:
Diaspora:
What are the four subregions in the Caribbean?
The Lesser Antilles, which is made up of the three smaller island groups: the Windward Islands, the Leeward Islands, and the Leeward
Antilles. The Lesser Antilles is a double arc of islands that stretches from the Virgin Islands to Trinidad.
- The Greater Antilles refers to the four largest islands in the Caribbean:
Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Jamaica, and Puerto Rico. - The Mainland Territories of the Caribbean include Belize, Suriname,
Guyana and French Guiana. - Other territories in the region include the Cayman Islands, The Bahamas and Turks and Caicos Islands.
Why did the Amerindians settle in the Caribbean?
The Ice Age: years ago, when most of Europe was frozen over. The Ice Age led to a shortage of vegetation for animals and thereby
a shortage of meat for these nomadic, hunter/gatherer tribes, who then migrated eastwards in search of food, following the migration of the woolly mammoth, a main source of meat for them.
Where did the Tainos settle?
They settled in Cuba, Jamaica, Bahamas and Hispaniola. Migrating from the Orcino Valley Basin of Venezuela around 600-700 AD due to flooding and hurricanes Also pushed along by the Kalinagos.
Where did the Kalinagos settle?
They settled in Dominica, and also Trinidad and Tobago, Grenada, St.Vincent and St.Lucia.
The hilly terrain made them tweak cuz they couldnt plant crops so they stole from the Tainos.
Where did the Mayans and the Incas settle?
MAYANS settled on the interior areas of Central America such as Mexico (Yucatan Peninsula), Belize, Honduras, and even Guatemala
INCAS settled in South American territories such as Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia and Colombia.
Where did the Europeans settle and why?
Spanish Settlement (1492–1600s):
Settled in the Greater Antillies. Why? God, Glory, Gold. Strategic Control, Converting people to Christianity.
Spain ignored smaller islands (Lesser Antilles) – no gold, harder to defend.
British Settlement (1600s–1700s)
Settled in the lesser Antilles FIRST.
Barbados (1627) – First major colony, ideal for sugar, St. Kitts (1623) – Launchpad for Leeward Islands, Antigua, Nevis, Montserrat – Sugar plantations, Jamaica (1655) – Seized from Spain; became sugar powerhouse.
Why? Control, Indentured Servants, Undermine Spanish/Dutch control.
French Settlement (1600s–1700s)
Hispaniola (Saint-Domingue, now Haiti) – Richest colony (sugar, coffee), Martinique, Guadeloupe – Sugar, rum, St. Lucia, Grenada – Later acquisitions after wars with Britain.
Dutch Settlement (1600s–1700s)
Curaçao, Aruba, Bonaire – Trade hubs (salt, slaves). St. Eustatius, Saba – Smuggling centers to bypass Spanish trade laws.
What the frick is the Treaty of Tordesillas.
Treaty of Tordesillas (1494): Pope-mediated agreement dividing New World territories between Spain and Portugal so that the two wouldn’t start beefing over it again.
When were Africans forced to migrate and why?
1500-1807.
Reasons for the forced migration included:
The dying of the Amerindian population due to genocide.
African labour was much cheaper than European labour.
Many Europeans believed the Africans were suitable for the harsh tropical weather and would make a more durable workforce.
They saw Africa as a place for ‘unlimited’ slaves.
What were the effects of the forced migration?
The growth of the plantation system and increased production of sugar.
New cultural practices and influences.
The creation of plantocracy.
New social norms as a result of plantation culture.
Demographic changes
Loss of millions of healthy working class persons from Africa.
Why did the Asians come to the Caribbean? and when?
1838-1917.
They came due to indentureship, since the slaves were freed. The indian government even saw it as a way to get rid of their untouchables.
It then ended due the complaints of poor treatment amongst workers.
What were the systems of production?
Slash & Burn: Used by the Tainos. Wasn’t that labour intensive
Encomienda: An exploitive system used by the Spanish to enslave the Tainos/Amerindians.
Slavery: This was a total institution.
Plantation system: Used by the British, French and Dutch
Indentureship: Indians and Chinese
How did the Caribbean People respond to the oppression/slavery
There was
non violent resistant: This included acts such as deliberate loss or sabotage of tools, machinery, mocking the whites, pretending to be dumb, mute etc. Women would longer weening and exaggerate their menstrual cycles.
flight or maroonage: Running away was an option, runaway slaves sometimes joined forces with pockets of indigenous groups who previously fred. The Maroon communities were formed.
violent resistance and revolt: This resistance would include plantation-level or individual level of acts of violent against the white (like killing them). Only succesful uprising was Haiti’s. Other revolts inclde Christmas Rebillion which convinced authorities that emancipation was needed.
Development of Pesante groups/Peasantry: Peasantry in the Caribbean refers to small-scale farming communities that emerged after emancipation (1838), where formerly enslaved Africans and indentured laborers sought economic independence by owning or renting land to grow crops for subsistence and local markets
What are some major slave rebellions?
Haitian Revolution, Ruler: France, Leaders: Toussaint L’Overture, Jean-Jacques, Date: 1971-1804.
Barbados Rebellion: Ruler: Britian, Leaders: Bussa and Nanny Grigg, Date: 1816.
Demerara (Guyuna) Rebellion, Ruler: Britian, Date: 18-19 August 1823, Leaders: Jack Gladstone and Quamina Gladstone.
Christmas Rebellion/Baptist War, Ruler: Britain, Leader: Samuel Sharpe, Date: 1831-1832.
What were the various movements towards independence?
(i) political enfranchisement; The ability of the nation to determine their own affairs. Political enfranchisement can be defined as the right of a people to be involved and to participate in the art of decision making in a country.
(ii) adult suffrage; The system whereby voting rights are granted to adults (over 18, used to be 21) irrespective of their race, sex or social class.
(iii) internal self-government: The situation where the chief minister and the cabinet of a colony are in control of all domestic matters, except defense and foreign affairs.
(iv) economic enfranchisement: refers to a country achieving the ability to determine how it develops its systems of production.
(v) entrepreneurial activities, including shopkeeping and savings societies.
Who contributed to the political developments?
Uriah Buzz Butler
Alexander Bustamante
Norman Manley
Grantley Adams.
What is Society, and What is culture.
Society: Can be defined geographically as a group of people that originates from a common place. Sociologically, it is the sharing of certain values, and attitudes that server as standards.
Culture: The way of life, including aspects of lifestyle, products, ideas and symbols. It is learned behaviour common to all human beings.
What are some positive and negative effects of cultural diversity?
Positive:
Being able to enjoy a variety of cultures, foods, festivals and music.
Allows persons living in such societies to reflect on the values and customs of others.
One can learn to appreciate other cultures.
May create new cultures under the unique conditions (hybridisation).
Negatives:
Ethnic hate may rise out of feelings of ethnic superiority.
Ethnic politics developes, with political parties becoming polarised according to race.
Continued feelings of discrimination, the
sense of being exploited and fears that one’s
lifestyle and means of earning a living may be
in jeopardy, lead to social unrest –spontaneous demonstrations, labour riots and outbreaks of ethnic violence.
What is Social Stratification?
Social stratification refers to a system operating in a particular society which ranks the population into social classes or groups arranged in a hierarchy.
This may be based on class, race, color and wealth.
Example of this could be the caste system indians used and slavery. (Whites, Colored’s, Blacks)
What is Plantocracy, Intelligentsia, and Bourgeoise?
Plantocracy refers to the influence wielded by
planters in the society as effectively the ruling class.
The intelligentsia are those who have had the benefit of higher education, the intellectual elite who comprise the managerial and professional class.
Bourgeiouse
What is Creolization, Hybridization, acculturation and transculturation?
Hybridization is the process of cultural and ethnic mixing to produce new or ‘creole’ forms.
Creolization is the fusion of people, ideas, customs, culture and beliefs to create a different form or likeness which may or may not be similar to the original. This just…happened. (Made by Brathwaite)
Acculturation means socialization into another more dominant culture. This was forced.
Transculturation describes the process where a culture changes drastically.
Enculturation is a process whereby a person becomes a part of another’s culture.
Assimilation occurs when a dominant group makes a bid to enculturate another by attempting to supplant all aspects of its culture and make it over into the image of the dominant group. Also…forcing??
What are societal institutions?
Societal institutions are said to be the building blocks of the society.
What are the different societal institutions and its functions?
Family : economic function, reproduction, emotional support, socialization.
Education
Religion
Justice System
