Antigua, The Carribean

The Island, Itself

 

Antiqua

 

Antiqua - St. John's - Kincaid's Home  

The Dreaded Breadfruit

 

Breadfruit - Up Close

 

Antigua - European Arrival • The current name, "Antigua," given by Christopher

Columbus in 1493  •  In 1632, a group of English colonists left St. Kitts to

settle on Antigua. Sir Christopher Codrington, an Englishman, established the first permanent European settlement

 • From then on, Antiguan history took a dramatic turn.

Codrington guided development on the island as a profitable sugar colony. Think Rum.

 • Lord Horatio Nelson, a major figure in Antigua

history, arrived in the late 18th century to preserve the island's commercial shipping prowess

The Problems of British Colonialism• According to A Brief History of the Caribbean,

European and African diseases, malnutrition and slavery eventually destroyed the vast majority of the Caribbean's native population.

 • In fact, some historians believe that the psychological

stress of slavery may also have played a part in the massive number of native deaths while in servitude. 

 • Others believe that the reportedly abundant, but

starchy, low-protein diet may have contributed to severe malnutrition of the "Indians" who were used to a diet fortified with protein from sea-life.

Slavery...

• Sugar became Antigua's main crop in about 1674

• This resulted in the importing tens of thousands of slaves, largely from West Africa, as sugar cultivation and processing was labor intensive

 • Unrest among the slaves became increasingly

common • The American Revolution in the late eighteenth

century disrupted the Caribbean sugar trade. At the same time public opinion in Britain gradually turned against slavery

 • Great Britain abolished the slave trade in 1808, and

all existing slaves were emancipated in 1834

More Recently, Independence...

• In 1968, with Barbuda and the tiny island of Redonda as dependencies, Antigua became an associated state of the Commonwealth

 • In 1981 it was disassociated from Britain • Economy is based upon tourism  • Unemployment Rate of 11% compared to USA's

9.1% • Literacy Rate of 85% compared to USA: 97%  

Who Lives There...?The ethnic distribution consist of: • 91% of African Descent and mixed African/Native

Caribean • 4.4% Other Mixed Race

 • 1.7 % European. The majority of the European

population is ethnically Irish, British, and Portuguese • 2.9% Other (primarily East Indian and Asian)

 • There are also Christian Levantine Arabs (primarily

of Syrian, Lebanese and Palestinian descent) and a small population of Sephardic Jews

Lastly, Post-Colonialism

• Antigua, like the US, Canada, Mexico, Ireland, India, etc. is a post-colonial nation. 

 • This fact will influence the way Annie views the

world • At times, we can infer that decisions and actions

of certain characters (and the author's intent) are influenced by the idea of Post-Colonialism

 • What can we see in the novel that

demonstrates or may demonstrate colonial influence?

Colonial Influences? The Obvious Few to Look For...• Teachers? • Language? • Cities and design?  • Food? Where is breadfruit from?  • Obeah women? Religion? • Whatever/Whoever else?