...Indigenous and African people have had similar experiences in the past which have shaped and transformed their history, culture, and society in many ways. During these experiences, both African and Indigenous people have used different forms of resistance in order to escape European colonialism and slavery. For Europeans, slavery was a major factor in their economic success. Millions of African and Indigenous slaves suffered at the expense of European settlers. The objective of the Europeans was to strip African and Indigenous people of their land, possessions, dignity, and even their lives in order to benefit themselves. Given the results of slavery and a look at the society in which we live today, this objective was not a complete success. Some forms of resistance were impactful, while others caused more harm than good. African slaves have been shown to use more secretive forms of resistance while Indigenous slaves used more open forms. Considering the various forms of resistance that African slaves used in comparison to the forms that Indigenous slaves used, and the outcome of this resistance, it can be stated that African slaves were far more victorious in their endeavours for emancipation than Indigenous slaves were. The land that Indigenous people occupied was highly sought after by Europeans for economic activity, as it contained commodities and people who they established as cheap and productive labour (Beckles and Shepard, 118.) Because of this, the Indigenous people...
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...forgotten. And in places where slavery and indentured servitude was a practice, the original and true histories of those people are forgotten. This is a phenomenon that West Indian author and poet Derek Walcott addresses in his insightful and touched the Nobel Prize Lecture delivered after receiving the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1992. He begins his lecture describing a performance that takes place on the island of Trinidad, every year by the East Indian population of the town Felicity. The performance is a dramatization of the Hindu epic Ramayana, a major representation of their original history and presentation of their identities. Walcott talks about the simplifying of these identities and how that translates to the view of the Caribbean as a whole: These purists look upon such ceremonies as grammarians look at a dialect, as cities look on provinces and empires look upon their colonies. Memory that yearns to the join the centre, a limb remembering the body from which it has been severed . . . In other words, the...
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...The influence of Caribbean Islands to the US Progress. Haiti became under two European colonizers such as French and Spanish. Haitians also suffered from slavery, from forced labor both under the French and Spanish colonization. During those years, many of their native leaders had attempted several revolts but failed many times. With great effort and unceasing determination for freedom, Haiti gained their independence at last in 1804. Haiti thus emerged into the world as the first black independent republic on January 1st, 1804. It’s revolution against colonialism and slavery was the first successful black movement resulting into an independent state headed by blacks, . On January 1, 1804, the heroes of the Independence, to honor the memory of the Indians who had been massacred by the Spanish renamed the island under its original Taino name, Haiti. Haiti in Taino means “High land”, “high ground” or “mountainous land” (Synopsis of Haitian History, 2007). Many would think that since Haiti was entirely independent from any European influences, it would be smooth sailing for Haiti with regard to its governance. On the contrary, this did not happen. Many Haiti emperors/leaders in succession became tyrants and they served like their masters – Spanish and French leaders. Others became greedy for power that they clung to their post for quite a time that the Haitians themselves once again espoused their ancestors’ being militants by forcefully ousting them from their post. It was only...
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...legacy of colonialism in the Caribbean at the hands of western powers particularly the English, French, Spanish, United States, and Dutch is overall negative due to the numerous African slaves brought to work on exploitative plantations who were even after emancipation and independence very poor and continued to suffer the consequences of exploitative colonialism brought by westerners. However, one of the few positives brought on by western colonialism in Caribbean is the introduction and subsequent spread of baseball. While baseball is commonly known as “America’s Pastime” it’s popularity across the world within the United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean islands, South America and Japan makes it far more than just “America’s Pastime”....
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...though Grenada has had such a violent political history, it does not even mention politics. It is as if Buffong has given up on politics; so much so that she does not even bother to critique it any more. Yet she does critique corrupt religious figures, from obeah practitioners to those of the higher echelons of the Roman Catholic Church. This suggests that Buffong sets her hopes on a return to an African-based spirituality in harmony with nature and community, illustrated by the novel’s nature symbolism and African-Caribbean religions and folklore. In Healing Narratives, Gay Wilentz develops the idea that “cultures themselves can be[come] ill” from a brutal history of colonial conquest and slavery (1). The colonists’ violent disruption and dislocation of African communities were compounded by the psychological violence caused by the repression of the root culture and the imposition of the dominant culture; conditions which laid the foundation for sick Caribbean communities. Members of these communities suffer from the identity crises caused by the conflict between Western materialism and African spirituality. Although the enslaved Africans clung to their culture to maintain an identity in opposition to that of the colonizer, their descendants were lured into assimilation by promises of material wellbeing and social mobility under the condition that they submerge their traditional African worldview. However in the context of the traditional African worldview, the spiritual...
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...West Indie voice found in literature * Uncover the hidden misery and loss of culture and identity suppressed by the natives Written Task 2 Word count: 818 Many readers are surprised when they discover the nature of David Walcott's literature. David Walcott was born in St. Lucia, a small island located in the Caribbean. It is rare in the United States to find literature from a Caribbean author that describes his native Caribbean people. In his poetry, Walcott explores the sources of conflict surrounding the West Indie identity during the time of imperialism and colonialism by Great Britain. The poem "Prelude" depicts various systems the West Indie people attempt to ignore and suppress the effects westerners have on their culture and identity. There is a sharp contrast between the natives' perceptions of the Caribbean and the westerners' perceptions of the Caribbean. Infrequently are the voices of Western Indie people heard, and through poetry, Walcott attempts to give his people an accurate voice free of Western misunderstanding. Though Walcott's use of diction, allusion and symbols in his poem "Prelude," the destitution and suppression of his Caribbean people are exposed in an attempt to correctly represent their voices to the world. In the poem "Prelude," Walcott uses devices such...
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...“The factors influencing and the rationale behind the establishment of Public Enterprises within Caribbean states” THE INFLUENCING FACTORS Reasons for setting up public enterprises were wide and varied. (C. Holder 1990). The countries of the English speaking Caribbean have traveled and endured a far distance; from freedom to couples of imperialistic societies achieved through colonialism; followed by wars and riots which lead to neocolonialism and finally to independence (Dominquez, Pastor and Worrel 1993). The post colonial era was the most active in relation to political thought and transformation as the social and economic issues of the “riot times” were examined. The minimal participation of the government in the laisser- faire ideological infrastructure that governed that period was the major purpose for change and as the full political responsibility for government was localized and the drive to industrialization spearheaded the drive for economic development trough the passage of Public Enterprises in Caribbean states. Caribbean governments wanted full participation in the commercial markets; what Mr. Norman Manly avidly describes as “commanding the heights of economy”. This thirst was quenched as some countries took steps toward the socialist perspective of controlling economies; this step caught the attention of other Caribbean governments and evoked further participation in the commercial and industrial development undertaken by governments. Social welfare...
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...December 14, 2013 Shades of Colonialism The continuum of history plays an important role in human thought. History and Colonialism, to the superficial thinker, is a collection of individual actions, social change, periods, regions, civilizations and other events that are long gone. However, as Prof. Montrose points out, history is not just about the past. All that happened in the past was happening in the present at that time. We are living in our present which will be the past in the future. The history of colonialism is being written every moment that we live, and the attached articles aptly illustrate the fact. Events that molded the colonial past are interwoven in the present and are shaping the future. The commonality and diversity of causal forces and human reactions with regard to colonialism, over time is remarkable. The struggle between a dominant and suppressed culture is a common thread. The clash could be between distant cultures, such as the Europeans and Africans or somewhat similar cultures, such as the British and Irish. This can be loosely labelled as external and internal colonialism respectively. External colonialism has declined and changed character in today's world of connectivity and interdependence. Nations now do not directly or outright rule other less powerful nations. Instead, they take a more subtle approach, influencing the political class and deriving their benefits. This has even been called neo-colonialism, such as being practiced by China...
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...Abstract This is a project in the form of an essay which focuses on the life of Walter A. Rodney. This essay includes Walter A. Rodney historical background, major ideas, his contribution to the Caribbean development, his impact on world affairs and his weaknesses. Content Page Introduction ………………………………………………………………………….. 3 Historical Background……………………………………………………………….. 4 Major Ideas…………………………………………………………………………… 5 Contribution to Caribbean Development……………………………………………. 8 Impact on World Affairs…………………………………………………………….. 9 Weakness……………………………………………………………………………. 10 Reference……………………………………………………………………………. 12 Introduction “For the only great men among the unfree and the oppressed are those who struggle to destroy the oppressor” (The Grounding With My Brothers, pg. 131). Walter A. Rodney otherwise known as 'Brother Wally' was a charismatic Caribbean intellectual. Rodney’s humanity poured out of his personality with a profound sense of the personal. He was articulate and well-spoken, well-educated and informed, a personable listener and one who was in tune with the 'grassroots'. He was able to fuse his knowledge of history, especially African history, with liberation politics. Many of his talks can be found in his book "The Groundings with My Brothers," however a brief portrait does no justice to the heritage he left. Walter A. Rodney was a revolutionary and scholar that combined his scholarship...
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...caribbean studies notes MODULE ONE LOCATION AND DEFINITION OF THE CARIBBEAN REGION Definition of the Caribbean Region Geographical This describes the area washed by the Caribbean Sea and is often described as the Caribbean Basin. It would therefore include most of the islands of the Lesser Antilles, Greater Antilles as well as the mainland territories in Central America (Costa Rica, Belize, Panama, Honduras) and Northern South America such as Columbia and Venezuela. The common link here is the Caribbean Sea. Geological There are deep seated structural features of Caribbean geology which also identifies commonalities. It is the area that is defined by the Caribbean Plate and which experiences similar tectonic, seismic and volcanic features and processes. Historical It describes the area that saw the impact of European colonization, slavery, indentureship and the plantation system. this refers to all the territories so that one way of defining the Caribbean is to identify those countries that experienced the rule of specific European countries. Thus the Caribbean may be defined as being broken up into the English, French, Dutch and Spanish speaking countries and territories. Political In the Caribbean at least three types of governmental systems are found. They include Independent States, Associated States and Colonial Dependencies. CHARACTERISTICS OF SOCIETY Society Society is a collection of people occupying a defined geographical...
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...economic leadership in the global political economy (Dodson p.2). American shipping and financial industries as well as British textile industries were highly dependent on slave-produced cotton. The expansion of the cotton plantation called for banks and financial houses in New York to supply loan capital to purchase more land and slaves. Enslaved Africans were recruited as cheap source of labor, eventually becoming an important economic and political capital in the American political economy (Dodson p.2). Slavery led to the growth of the economies outside of the United States. For example, regional banking emerged in the 18th century because of the need for credit in the long distance Atlantic slave trade. Although slavery stifled Caribbean economic growth, it enhanced global commodity circulation. This acted as a major prerequisite for British industrialization. Slave profits were important in financing infrastructure projects such as railways, which lead to industrial revolution (Harms p.1). Slavery might have been profitable at the microeconomic level but harmful at the macroeconomic level because although it led to industrialization in some parts, there are places that did not benefit from slavery. It also involved violation of human rights making it undesirable to the human race (Harms p.1) In addition, as Andrew Forrest says, “slavery is a dark side of globalization.” (Group) On one side, globalization is a great process of integration among society with international...
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...MEMORY OF THE WORLD REGISTER The Federal Archives Fonds (Barbados) Ref N° 2008-01 PART A – ESSENTIAL INFORMATION 1 SUMMARY The West Indies Federation (1958-1962) was a political federation of ten territories in the Anglophone West Indies. Its formation signaled the beginning of a new era of decolonization for the region of the West Indies in the post-World War II period. The history of the West Indies is inextricably linked with the histories of other former British colonies, which include portions of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States of America. The Federal Archives reflect the interconnectivity of these histories and document one of the decisive periods of twentieth century history when territories, under the colonial rule of the British Empire, first flexed their ‘political muscles’ and sought to become sovereign nation-states. Undoubtedly, the West Indies Federation shared some commonalities with other contemporary federations particularly with regard to issues such as constitutional reform and overcoming nationalist interests. However, the West Indian experience was unique and distinct from all others mainly as a result of the geographical separateness of the territories by sea and the insularity of the territories, which historically related bi-laterally with England. Additionally, there was the impact of extra- and intra-regional migrations on account of the colonial plantation economies that were...
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...The Caribbean countries have been in the centre of colonial interest of the capitalist countries of the world in the recent past. Globalization in particular has led to the birth and expansion of neo-colonialism. Puerto Rico forms the most significant example of this movement. First, it was a colony of Spain for about 4 centuries. However, through war, the country managed to kick out their colonial masters in 1898. Thereafter, the United States, a modern colonial master was obtained. As a consequence, struggle for independence and nationalism of the country has been frustrated by the hegemonic power created by the United States. Further, the economy of the country has been extremely downtrodden and this forms the focus of the paper. On 3rd May 2017, Puerto Rico was officially declared the largest bankrupt nation by the public bond market of the United States. As stated by Gonzalez (2017), the economy of the country has reached a breaking point with a debt of $123 billion owed by the government and public corporations to the bondholders. This is ironical for a country that has been dubbed by many as a perfect tourist destination. The poverty level in the country...
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...Index Introduction------------------------------------------------------------------------------4 Diversity Amid Globalization-------------------------------------------------------5 The Changing Global Environment----------------------------------------------11 North America---------------------------------------------------------------------------12 Latin America---------------------------------------------------------------------------23 The Caribbean--------------------------------------------------------------------------27 Sub-Saharan Africa-------------------------------------------------------------------31 Southwest Asia and North Africa------------------------------------------------32 Europe------------------------------------------------------------------------------------34 The Russian Domain-----------------------------------------------------------------39 Central Asia-----------------------------------------------------------------------------42 East Asia---------------------------------------------------------------------------------45 South Asia-------------------------------------------------------------------------------47 Southeast Asia-------------------------------------------------------------------------50 Australia and Oceania---------------------------------------------------------------57 Conclusion------------------------------------------------------------------------------60 Bibliography----------------------------------------------------------------------------61 ...
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...The Rise and Fall of the British West Indian Federation HIS 371 Dr. Keith Tinker, Ph.D. April 16, 2015 Lashawn Brown The Rise and fall of the British West Indian Federation can be better understood, if we first understood the history of how the British came to occupy the Caribbean. To do this let us first focus on what was before and what eventually came to be. With that being said, this is an informative essay that is an attempt to discuss the plight of the British colonies in the Caribbean in terms of the rise and fall of the ‘West Indies Federation’ and its future replacements CARIFTA and CARICOM because of the Federation’s failure. This was all done in an effort to propel West Indian nations from colonialism to self-governance and economic self-sufficiency. There was no significance to the Caribbean until the year 1492, when Christopher Columbus set sail to the east on behalf of his country Spain. Columbus set sail in search of wealth, specifically gold and a better trading channel between Spain, China and Japan. His mother land Spain, was at that time, one of the four principal European powers to colonize the Caribbean by the early seventeenth century. The other three principal powers were the Dutch, the British and the French. While on his journey, which should have been easterly, Christopher Columbus somehow ended up in the west where he stumbled upon some islands; his search for the country in the East was unsuccessful. On the islands, situated in the west...
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