Caribbean Historiography in the Decade after Emancipation.pptx

7/25/2019 Caribbean Historiography in the Decade after Emancipation.pptx

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Emancipation in the British WesIndies 1838 - 1848


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Learning Objectives

Students i!! be ab!e to

Identi"# b# themes$ theses and autho%aribbean historiograph# in the decaimmediate!# "o!!oing emancipation

&e!ineate the historiographica! argumhich these themes have generated

&etermine the strengths and ea'nethe positions presented


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(ies on Emancipation in the West Indies 1838 - 1848

Verene Shepherd Emancipation did not immedin pro"ound changes in the !ives o" ne!# "reed peo

Governor of Trinidad Lord Harris -)a race hadbut a societ# had not been "ormed*

Bridget Brereton as well as Swithin Emancipation as a atershed period in Britishistor#$ a great brea' dividing to distinct!# di,ene era in !abour re!ations in the British West Indie

Rita Pemberton +emancipation un!eashed the

"reedom "or the "ormer!# ens!aved in the British %a


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ajor .istoriographica! themes in the /irst&ecade o" Emancipation in the British %arib

10 %hanging shape o" Estate Labour0 E2odus"rom the Estates

30 E2panding West Indian easantr#

40 Other !ternatives to Estate Labour50 &epressionin the Sugar Industr#

60 Indentured ImmigrantWor'ers

70 oor .ea!th and Other Socia! Servi


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%aribbean .istoriograph# onEstate Labour 1838 - 1848

enera! consensusamong the riters Wi!!iam 0 reen$ Wi!!iam See!!$ Wa!ter 9odne#$ Sith

Wi!mot$ W0 :0 arsha!!$ ise!a Eisner

Wagedrather than "ree!abour

;as'or job or' rather than da#or'

art time and capriciousrather than stead#$ discip!inetime and re!iab!e or'

/ree rather than coerced !abour


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%aribbean .istoriograph# on EsLabour a"ter S!aver#


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age a our n e ar ean1838 - 1848 Sithin Wi!mot>s )Emancipation in ction Wor'ers and Wage %on?ict in @am

1841* provides a specia!iAed treatment o" the topic

.e and others note

!antersanted to 'eep ages !o + 7pence dai!#C

Wor'ersbargainedand so!d !abour to the highest bidder 1 shi!!ing 6 pencWa!ter 9odne#A History of the Guyanese Working Peopleand the stri'es o

.erman eriva!e>s thesis o" high and !o densit# co!onies in Lectures on CColonies 1839 18!1 posited that ages ere high here "ree !and as here it as not

!anters on the age batt!e in the high densit# co!onies$ !ost temporari!#peop!e in the !o densit# co!onies and in the end brought don ages thr

;he riters note$ hoever$ that p!anters "ai!ed to e2tract "ree !abour "rom in this period

In ntigua$ St :itts and Barbados$ estate ages reached 36 cents per da# to 5 cents therea"ter

In ;rinidad$ British uiana and @amaica ages increased as much as 58D i

o" "reedom ranging "rom 4F cents to 65 cents dai!# but "e!! to 5 cents a"te


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as' Wor' on the British %aribbean Estates 1831848

&oug!as .a!! in "ree #a$aica% "i&e of the Lee'ards and )/!igEstates 9econsidered* a!ong ith others e2amine in detai! t

the post emancipation historiograph#/ormer!# ens!aved persons redesigned theestate emp!o#ment

ost rejected da# or' as in the da#s o" s

;he# insisted instead on tas' or'!anters grudging!# accepted the change

;he "ormer!# ens!aved succeeded in the o" "reedom in re"ashioning estate emp!o#m

suit their agenda


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;as' Wor' a"ter Emancipation


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art time and capricious rather than "u!!time$ stead# and re!iab!e estate emp!o#me

reen$ 9odne#$ .a!!$ Wi!mot and others underscore anoth

a# in hich post emancipation estate !abour di,ered "roera

On the ho!e$ the da#s o" "u!! time or' on the estates "oens!aved ere over

Some !ived on the estates but did not or' on it at a!!

Some ere estate residents ho or'ed a coup!e o" da#sand used the rest o" the time to or' e!sehere or not to

Others on!# or'ed during crop time

Others or'ed on!# I" and hen the# needed mone# to suother "orms o" income

Others turned their bac' on estate emp!o#ment a!togethe


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/reerather than %oerced Estate Labour o" tEmancipated in the British %aribbean 1838= O0


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;heE2odus "rom the Estates

%onsiderab!e historiographica! debate on this aspect o" emanthis period e2ists

Wi!!iam reen$ 9a!e /ar!e# and .ugh aget upho!d the o!d

debate + the menta! association beteen the horrors o" s!avep!antation agricu!ture acted as a push "actor aa# "rom the eES%E

&oug!as .a!! + ;he "ree peop!e might have sta#ed in their o!dand provision grounds had it not been "or the prob!ematic teemancipation$ hosti!e and intimidating p!anter tactics$ the pe

to !ive out the "u!! meaning o" "reedomand the avai!abi!it# o"a!ternatives to the p!antation

&oug!as .a!! + the e2odus as neither automatic$ spontaneonor inevitab!e

It as not motivated b# the "ree peop!e>s de!iberate intentionp!antocrac# b# ithho!ding !abour

It as mar'ed on!# a"ter 184 in the !o densit# co!onies


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9a!e /ar!e# + ;he E2odus as attempt to escape "rom the hormemories o" s!aver#

/ i! St t i d th E d " th


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/ami!# Strategies and the E2odus "rom theEstates

Bridget Brereton in )/ami!# Strategies$ ender and the S

Labour in the British %aribbean* &iana aton );he /!ight "rom the /ie!ds 9econsidered G

Ideo!ogies and Women>s Labour "ter S!aver# in @amaica

Withdraa! o" omen and chi!dren "rom estate !abour + most immediate and dramatic socia! changes accompanemancipation

9e!ocation o" "ema!e !abour ithin the househo!dand th

9eduction o" chi!d !abour on estates and increase in chi!on parents> "ami!# "arms or grounds

Eager grasp o" "e educationa! opportunities inc!uding tapprenticeships


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/ree (i!!ages and the W0 I0 easant 9a!e /ar!e# in );he 9ise o" (i!!age Sett!ements in Br

!an damson (ugar Without (la&es )he Political *coGuiana 1838 + 19,!

continuation o" the revo!t against s!aver# and p!ant

art o" the e2odus "rom the estates

;he !andmar' o" true economic "reedom

reat!# assisted b# the non con"ormist missionariesolon! !ear "#mber of

free holders

a$reage

uiana 184 J43

Barbados 184F4 - 185J /rom 1$11F to3$537

hectares each

St (incent 1838 + 1857 8$FJ 5$FFF hectares

ntigua 1833 - 1858 67 "ree vi!!agesith 15$644

inhabitants

!t ti 9 ! d K b


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!ternative 9ura! and KrbanOccupations o" the /reed eop!e Sidne# intA gives some attention to this scho!arship

Severa! o" the ne!# "reed peop!e entered$ continued and = or e2invo!vement in pett# shop 'eeping as e!! as ha'ing and pedd

Some became shermen

Others or'ed as cra"tsmen

intA documents the histor# o" omen ho entered the domestthe region

B# 1844$ there ere $5FF individua!s in this c!ass in ntigua$

6$FFF in British u#ana

1$FFF in Barbados

17$5FF in @amaica

In uiana some men migrated in!and to go!d and diamond e!ds

;he Sugar Industr# in the /irst &ecade o"


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;he Sugar Industr# in the /irst &ecade o"Emancipation See!!$ reen$ !an damson$ Eric Wi!!iams

&epression= crisis in the Sugar Industr#

9ising cost o" sugar production

Sugar as hit b# !o prices in 1841

;he Sugar &uties EHua!iAation ct o" 1846 - removed the prhigh duties that West Indian producers enjo#ed "or centurie

%ompetition"rom BraAi!$ %uba$ Louisiana and beet sugar in

changed the "ortunes o" producers nnua! sugar production s!umped b# 36D beteen 183J an

5FD o" the @amaican p!antations "o!ded

E2odus"rom the estates

Signicant reduction in p!antation !abour

E2ception- ;rinidad + output Huadrup!ed "rom 188 + 18J5

I d t d I i ti "t E i ti


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Indentured Immigration a"ter Emancipation

:0 O0 Laurence$ 9hoda 9eddoc'$ @ohn La uerre$ Brian oore

/oreign +"rican$ merican$ European$ West Indian and sian IndianC

Bonded + signed 1$ $ 3 and 5 #ear contracts

Stationar# + resident on p!antations

Set ages + no bargaining

Brought don ages

9ein"orced racism in the region$ made the %aribbean even moand permitted divide and ru!e governanceolon! Period "#%nd%mm

British uiana 1838 - 5F

;rinidad 1845 - 145

@amaica 184Fs 1$

St (incent 184Fs 1$8

St Lucia 184Fs 1$5


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Indian Indentured Immigrant Labour to @ama


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.istoriograph# on IndenturedImmigration to the %aribbean


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;he .istoriograph# o" Socia! Li"e in the %arin the Immediate ost Emancipation eriod

Education .ea!th

ub!ic Education in the %aribbean 1838 1848


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ub!ic Education in the %aribbean 1838 - 1848


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Education %ar! %ampbe!! has given more scho!ar!# attention to the histor# o" ma

education in the %aribbean than an#one e!se

See a!so Shir!e# ordon

Observations

;he British overnment as parsimonious in supporting mass educat

ore attention as given to Huantit#than to Hua!it# education

Education as to serve more as a socia! po!ice "orce than a !ever "or u

;he "ree peop!e embraced education as an escape "rom agricu!tura! o

B# 1846 hen "undingas the responsibi!it# o" the !oca! !egis!atures$ done to advance pub!ic education since the p!anter c!ass vieed educto the p!antation

Ksed as an agent o" the po!itica! process

%ampbe!! and ordon on ub!ic


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%ampbe!! and ordon on ub!icEducation in the %aribbean a"tes!aver#

ea n e pos emanc pa on


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ea n e pos emanc pa on%aribbean 9ita emberton$ hi!ip %urtin$ Barr# .igman$ See!! and eorge BriAan

%ommoditiAation o" hea!th - commodit# to be traded in e2change "or

!anters e2pected that disease ou!d drive or'ers bac' to the estate ani"estation o" poer re!ations in this period

.ea!th services deteriorateda"ter emancipation as severa! doctors migthis period

edica! services became scarce and e2pensive

enera! !ac' o" concern "or the ph#sica! e!! being o" the "ormer!# ens

E2 ens!aved died o" !ac' o" sanitationand medica! care hi!ip %urtain revea!s in his stud# on @amaica in this period that hoo'

ma!nutrition ravished or'ers hi!e the hite estab!ishment spent moimmigration

See!! and eorge BriAan ta'e note o" sHua!orin St (incent and rena

orta!it# rate in ;rinidad in the 184Fs averaged around 4FD .ector

as$ "evers and ?u2es increased throughout the region a"ter 1838


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bsence o" Socia! Services%ho!era + the miser# hich came ith "reed

:0 O0 Laurence$ 9ita emberton artic!esC Lac' o" socia! service and e!"are programmes

Documents

Caribbean Historiography in the Decade after Emancipation.pptx