HHIB03672U HIS 67. Colonial society and slavery on the Leeward islands, 1650 - 1850

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HIS 67. Colonial society and slavery on the Leeward islands, 1650 - 1850
Slavery is an integral part of the history of the colonial societies of the Caribbean. The institution of chattel slavery arrived with the European discovery of the New World and lasted until the end of the 19^th century when it was abolished in all the Caribbean. In this course, we will focus on a small part of the Caribbean known as the Leeward Islands in the period 1650-1850, where the sugar industry gradually developed to become an ubiquitous part of the colonial reality. Situated in the northernmost part of the island chain of the Lesser Antilles, the Leeward Islands consisted of both Danish, English, French, Dutch and Swedish colonies in close proximity to each other. These islands constituted a crucible of languages, cultures, nationalities and economies and can be seen as a lens through which we can get closer to understand the complex political, economic, social and cultural relations that characterized the whole of the Caribbean and Atlantic world and shaped its history. This course will focus on the shared histories of the islands by focusing on the commonalities and differences between the different colonies, and will provide you with a broader understanding of the system of slavery in the Caribbean.