The Social Impact of Slavery on the Caribbean Society In order for us to understand the Caribbean, we must acknowledge the tremendous social impact slavery placed upon the islands. We must not only consider the practice of slavery dating back to the indigenous peoples, but from what the introduction of the African slave trade did to the islands economically as well as culturally. In this paper let me reflect on slavery in the Caribbean not from an economical standpoint but, from the racial or
Introduction A society is a body of people that are characterized by culture and population among other things. Through research it was found that there are three theories that can explain the formation of a Caribbean society. These three theories are Creole, Plantation and Plural society and they all were able to explain a lot about the Caribbean society over years. However when it comes to the Caribbean today one theory seems to stand out more than the rest. The Plantation society theory tries to
Challenges of Caribbean Society in Achieving National Unity There have been many attempts for the Caribbean nations to come together as one, leading to national unity in the region. Some attempts at unity include: Federation, CARICOM (Caribbean Community), CARIFTA (Caribbean Free Trade Association), CDB (Caribbean Development Bank), UWI (University of the West Indies), CXC (Caribbean Examinations Council), and recently CSME (Caribbean Single Market and Economy), which is still in the process
Caribbean Slavery Starting in the seventeenth century, the European colonization of the Caribbean changed drastically as exploration gave way to exploitation. As the great wealth that the Caribbean held became more evident to the European colonizers, a rush of profit hunters stormed the area and flooded it with slavery. The massive introduction of slavery as the major form of labor organization in the Caribbean changed social organization radically. The plantation system thrived and expanded through
“Women have also been found to figure prominently in such events as suicides and mass poisonings (Klein, 1986: 94).” Another excellent text which is full of information, first person accounts, and resources is Barbara Bush’s book, Slave Women in Caribbean Society 1650-1838. It covers such topics as slave women in resistance, as transmitters of African culture, and their role in the labor force.” She is basically saying that when she was taught about Black history in school, her teacher or the textbooks
Differing Perspectives of the Caribbean The Caribbean has been an unexplained region throughout the test of time because there are many different depictions of what actually is happening. The ranging cultures in the Caribbean bring about many different points of view. A perfect example is how Cliff, Mintz, and Benitez-Rojo describe their version of the Caribbean. They discuss affairs in the Caribbean from the days of slave trading to present day issues. In analyzing their anecdotes and books
In The Repeating Island, Antonio Benintez-Rojo writes on postindustrial societies inaccurate views of the Caribbean as a common archipelago and calls on postindustrial societies to reexamine their view of the Caribbean. In this paper the following topics in The Repeating Island will be examined in validating Benitez- Rojo’s perspective that the Caribbean is a meta-archipleago with no boundaries or center: Columbus’s machine to the sugar-making machine, the apocalypse to chaos, rhythm to polyrhythm
Identities in French Caribbean Literature The masculine identity and the feminine identity in French Caribbean literature is far more complex and diverse in their gender roles than what one perceives in other varieties of literature. In this type of literature, masculinity is mostly depicted with forms of weakness, while femininity in French Caribbean literature is depicted with forms of strength, courage and determination. The question is why are gender identities in French Caribbean literature evolving
The Caribbean region extends from Barbados in the East, Trinidad and Tobago in the South, to the Bahamas in the North and Cuba in the West (Edwards, 2013, Unit 10 ). A rich cultural heritage is one of the regions most prized possessions, dear to the heart of its people. Merriam-Webster(2013) defines culture as “the beliefs, customs, arts, etc., of a particular society, group, place, or time” Diverse cultural components of music, dance, the arts, literature, languages, and religious practices do
larger role within the novel. Moreover, the colonial history of the island serves as a foundation to the present living of the citizens of Tobago. The two island republic of Trinidad and Tobago has been one of the most influential of the Anglophone Caribbean nations having attracted a succession of Spanish, English, French, African and Indian peoples and also having developed a Creole culture that particularly through its calypso music has influenced the world. Its population is fairly evenly divided
Plantation and Race in the Caribbean The incredible history of the Caribbean is indeed, one of the most rich, and at the same time troubling, of the New World. Its incredibly heterogeneous population and its social racial base make it a very difficult place to, for instance, live and raise a family. While some children may have a future because of their light complexion, the others are doomed to a life of poverty in the unforgiving culture and society of the Caribbean. Three people have taken
As the Hispanic Caribbean has evolved it has managed to grow and thrive beyond belief, whether one is discussing art, music or just the culture alone the Hispanic Caribbean is truly reaping the benefits of allowing themselves to be influenced by many other cultures. While the Hispanic Caribbean is thriving they are still facing the many new found struggles that come along with the territory of becoming more affluent as well as more accepting to other cultures and their beliefs. Often with the growth
Caribbean culture is a phrase that illuminates the literary, artistic, musical, culinary, social and political rudiments that are archetypal of the Caribbean people. The Caribbean's culture has historically been shaped by European culture and traditions, notably French, British and Spanish. Over time, components of the cultures of the Africans and other immigrant populations have become fused into established Caribbean culture. Hence, the culture of the Caribbean is a product of its geography, history
Misconceptions of the Caribbean never seem to change and more erroneous information seems to be added on as time passes. Peoples knowledge about the Caribbean is derived from false assumptions without accuracy and facts. That often leads to stereotyping. When people hear the word “Caribbean” they automatically think of it as a place for vacationing and relaxation. The Caribbean isn’t just about reggae music, Bob Marley or the exotic food. There is much more to the Caribbean than just the surface
During the period of 1640-1690 the expansion of the Caribbean “economy, was made possible by the expansion of the European colonisation over the Atlantic. However Africans were captured for slave trade to sustain the development of sugar industry, through slave labour to produce sugarcane.” (Grouchier & Walton, 1629: 418-420). The scramble for Africa brought about gender inequality within the African society, the European invasion in the Atlantic introduced some political conflicts regarding the
"The Caribbean" The Caribbean, a region usually exoticized and depicted as tropical and similar in its environmental ways, cannot be characterized as homogenous. Each individual island has their own diverse historical background when it comes to how and when they became colonized, which European country had the strongest influence on them, and the unique individual cultures that were integrated into one. The three authors Sidney W. Mintz, Antonio Benitez-Rojo, and Michelle Cliff, all and address
While sugar has become one of the most common commodities in the world, the labor-intensive process of making sugar is often forgotten. With the crop dating back to 8000 B.C., its historical presence is evident, although the industry in the Caribbean did not truly begin until the early 1500s. In between that time, different types of sugar cane were tested, yet plantations continued to return to Saccharum officinarum, which was the same strand domesticated in New Guinea in 8000 B.C. Through the use
The Caribbean region is known for its very unique history which is as a direct result of colonization by the Europeans. Within the domains of these islands, lies a shared colonial and post-colonial experience amongst its peoples which has inescapably left them with a fractured psyche. Postcolonial literary writers, through their works, have addressed, criticized and highlighted many issues faced by Caribbean people. This ‘quarrel with history’ is centered on issues of race, social class structure
Book Report on "Britain's Black Debt" by Professor Sir Hilary McD. Beckles. This piece is a report on Britain's Black Debt: Reparations for Caribbean Slavery and Native Genocide a book by Professor Sir Hilary McD. Beckles. The copy of the book that I have is a soft covered (paperback) version that costs two hundred and twenty five TT dollars. The ISBN number is 978-976-640-268-6. This book is published by the University of West Indies Press. It was published in Mona, Jamaica in 2013.The manuscript
“The meeting of Africans, Europeans, and the indigenous people in the Caribbean is arguably one of the most interesting and important aspects of world history. It was in this region that one could perceive the worst aspects of inhumanity juxtaposed with a story of survival and triumph of the human spirit. Caribbean history unfolds like a drama and is a continuing saga of wars of various types, conquest of different sorts, and above all, resistance” (Toney, 2011). In a time of exploration, discovery