THEME 8: CARIBBEAN PLOITICAL PLOITIC AL DEVELOPMENT UP TO 1985
OBJECTIVE 1 : EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF THE MAJOR ATTEMPTS AT UNIFICATION IN THE BRITISH COLONIZED CARIBBEAN BEFORE 1939
The idea that all the British Caribbean islands should be under one government has been around since the 19th century. century. Early attempts at unification included:
• • •
Leeward slands !1"#$% Leeward slands !1% 'indward slands !1&#$( 1&#"%
)owever these early attempts at unification failed because: 1. The planters* planters* merchants merchants and other other interest interest groups groups refused refused to share profits profits from from trade trade or the costs of government +. The legislatur legislaturee on each island preferr preferred ed to ,eep their own own authority authority rather rather than share share it in a federation. They feared they would lose their influence if the centre centre of government went to another territory. territory. -. ifficult ifficulties ies in communic communication ation between between the the islands islands and financing financing also also made them them unwilling to integrate. $. iversity iversity of culture culture was also also a main barrier barrier to unificati unification. on. Each island island was different different** with its own history* laws and customs which all made for pride in their own country. co untry. /. 0ationalis 0ationalistt movement movement also also undermined undermined the the idea of a regional regional governme government. nt. ". The products products of the the islands islands competed competed with one one another rather rather than than support support each other. other. or e2ample different islands produced sugar rather than one producing sugar and another coffee.
OBJECTIVE 2: ASSESS THE RELATIONSHIP RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN POPULAR PROTEST AND POLITICAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE CARIBBEAN BETWEEN 1935- 1958
The great economic depression of the 19-3s was worldwide. n the industriali4ed countries* factories closed and unemployment was e2perienced by millions of wor,ers. Between 19+9 and 19-+* world production fell by a third and world trade by two thirds. The depression was felt hardest in places li,e the British Caribbean* which depended on one or two ma5or e2port crops. 6overnments lost their spending money as the income from e2port duties slumped. 7o they suspended public wor,s programmes* which had always given wor, to many part time labourers. The depression led to a rise in the number of unemployed and ultimately to there was a rise in the number of stri,es in the British Caribbean. The table below lists protests action that too, place between 19-/ and 19-& 8ear
sland
Event
19-/ 19-/ 19-/ 19-# 19-# 19-# 19-# 19-# 19-&
7t itts 7t incent British 6uiana Trinidad Barbados British 6uiana 7t Lucia
7tri,e by sugar wor,ers emonstrations against custom duty hi,es Labour disputes on sugar plantations 7tri,e by oil wor,ers 6eneral stri,e ;prising on sugar estates 7tri,e by sugar wor,ers =rotests by sugar wor,ers 7tri,e by doc,wor,ers
Caribbean wor,ers started organi4ing themselves in labour organi4ations> trade unions. 7ome of the trade unions and trade union leaders included: Trade union British 6uiana Labour ;nion Bustamante ndustrial ;nion British Empire 'or,ers Barbados 'or,ers ;nion Trinidad 'or,ingmens @ssociation
Trade union leader ? country )erbert Crichlow !British 6uiana% @le2ander Bustamante !
n 19-& * largely because of these protest actions* a Doyal Commission headed b y Lord @lfred oyne was appointed to analy4e and report on the conditions causing unrest in the 'est ndies. @mong the conditions which were reported included:
• •
nadeFuate medical services any persons suffered from diseases such as tuberculosis* malaria* worm infestations*
•
yaws * and leprosy )igh infant mortality rate 'idespread poverty )igh crime rate Brea,down of family life =oor housing !houses made of rusty corrugate iron* and unsound boarding* poor
•
sanitation aand water supply% =oor development of education !not enough schools* lac, of eFuipment* school buildings
•
in a state of disrepair* lac, of teachers* underpaid teachers% =oor wor,ing conditions !no laws against the use of unsafe machinery or the e2ploitation
• • • •
of women and children* sic, leave* holidays or time off 7ome of the recommendations of the oyne Commission included:
•
The entire medical service of the English spea,ing Caribbean should be reorgani4ed
•
under one central authority Caribbean leaders should establish a public wor,s programme of slum clearing* bac,ed
•
up by the building of suitable low priced buildings Educational programmes which are more closely related to the life and e2periences of the
•
residents of the British 'est ndies mplementation of laws on labour conditions and the rights of trade unions* for e2ample* the trade unions laws should allow unions to pic,et peacefully and protect them against being sued by a company for the money it lost during a stri,e.
•
The colonies should immediately set up wor,mens compensation schemes*
•
unemployment insurance and guidelines for minimum wages The colonies should have labour departments to see that these improvements were carried
•
out and to protect the rights of trade unions The introduction of adult suffrage !the right to vote for all men and women over a certain
• • • •
age% ncreased democrati4ation of government 6iving the right to vote to women and to people who did not own land 7elf government t also recommended ederation of all the colonies
;niversal adult suffrage spurred the formation of political parties. )owever* many Caribbean political parties were formed out of the trade union movement. This is why nearly every party has the word Alabour or Gpeople in its title. The table below shows some of the ma5or political parties of the Caribbean. ecade formed
Country
ain political parties
19-3s 19-3s 19/3s 19/3s
Barbados Labour =arty* emocratic Labour =arty =eoples 0ational =arty*
19/3s
Barbados
19/3s
ominica
19/3s
6uyana
19"3s
Trinidad and Tobago
19"3s
@ntigua
7t itts and 0evis Labour =arty* =eoples @ction ovement ominican Labour =arty* =eoples 0ational ovement =eoples national Congress* =eoples =rogressive =arty =eoples 0ational ovement* emocratic Labour =arty @ntigua Labour =arty* =rogressive Labour ovement
OBJECTIVE 3: E!"#$% &'( )(#*+%* ,+) &'( (*&#"$*'.(%& +, # ,(/()#&$+% +, &'( B)$&$*' W(*& I%/$(* (&0((% 195 #%/ 1958
By 19/&* many Caribbean leaders began to support the idea of a ederation of the English spea,ing Caribbean territories.
Reasons for the Federation
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=olitical independence: the ederation would give them a stronger voice in world affairs
•
and more bargaining power to demand political independence @ united British Caribbean would also answer the Colonial Hffices views that some
•
territories were too small to survive if they became self governing ederation would not solve the Caribbeans economic problems* but it was a necessary
• •
condition to do so @ strong central authority was needed* rather than delegation by other agencies @ federal authority would be responsible for public order* education and agriculture
n
The ederation lasted 5ust four years and was dissolved on -1 ay 19"+* after
OBJECCTIVE : EXPLAIN THE REASONS FOR THE FAILURE OF THE BRITISH WEST INDIES FEDERATION IN 192 Reasons for the failure of the Federation
•
The federal budget was insufficient. The British government agreed to give J/33*333 for the establishment of the ederation. This was not enough in the view of the Caribbean
•
•
leaders. There was lac, of popular support for the federation from the ma5ority of the Caribbean people There was disagreement among federal leaders in the following areas: !a% Location of the capital of the ederation: the choice of Barbados for the capital of the ederation was opposed by Caribbean critics. They felt that the British bureaucrats preferred Barbados because it had remained a British possession* even ,eeping its Hld Depresentative 7ystem. The Fuestion of where to put the capital produced 5ealousies. F$%#""4 &'( "+#&$+% +, &'( #!$&#" +, &'( F(/()#&$+% 0#* "+#&(/ $% P+)& +, S!#
%$•
T)$%$/#/6 !b% freedom of movementK some territories especially Trinidad feared that they would
•
face unlimited immigration of persons from the smaller islands
•
in the full independence The idea of a common ACaribbean people had not yet developed fully and each territory had its individual identity. =eople did not thin, of themselves as Caribbean people but only as
•
• • •
The problems of communication between territories separated by sea* of having one currency and unifying customs duties The various Caribbean leaders did not want to give any power to regional government There was a disagreement over the rules for electing members to a federal parliament The larger territories feared that their development would be retarded b y the smaller* and generally poorer colonies. any of the leaders ob5ected to a customs union with each territory setting the same duties on imports and e2ports.
The end of the Federation
and see, independence. That meant the end of the ederation. The British dissolved it in ay 19"+. n @ugust* Trinidad and Tobago and RATION B? OUTSTANDIN> PERSONALITIES 7MALEA ND FEMALE; IN THE EN>LISH SPEA@IN> TERRITORIES P()*+%#"$&$(* $%+"(/ $% $%&()#&$+%: A)&') C$!)$#%$ 7 185-195;
)e revived the Trinidad 'or,ingmens @ssociation.
)e won the post of mayor of =ort of 7pain eight times )e was one of the earliest Caribbean voices pushing for 'est ndian federation. )e critici4ed Crown Colony government as anti democratic calling it a glorified autocracy and argued that this form of government did not serve the Caribbean people. )e campaigned for reforms that would benefit the wor,ing class population* such as the right to trade unions* wor,mens compensation* old age pensions and a minimum wag e.
A"(#%/() B*&#.#%&( 7188- 19;
)e was a trade unionist and politician )e formed the Bustamante ndustrial Trade ;nion n 19$+ he was 5ailed for sedition because of his strong criticisms of the colonial
system )e formed the political party called the
general elections )e became the islands first Chief inister in 19/)e campaigned for
19"1 n 19"+ the
)#%&"( A/#.* 71898- 191;
7tudied law at the H2ford ;niversity in England )e entered politics in Barbados in the 19-3s and got elected to the )ouse of
@ssembly in 19-$ )e was president of the Barbados =rogressive League which later became the
Barbados Labour =arty )e argued that the Caribbean territories should have self government )e became the first =rime inister of the 'est ndian ederation )e was head of the government from 19$" to 19/&* but never won an election after that.
T'(+!'$"* A"()& M#))*'+0 71885- 1958;
)e was a 5ournalist and politician )e founded a periodical called The 'est ndian through which he campaigned for representative government and federation )e was lead spea,er for the ederation )e was elected to the 6renadian legislature in 19+$ )e is seen as the ,ey Caribbean figure behind the ederation and is nic,named the ather of ederation
W$""$#. D(.#* 71929- 1998;
7tudied economics at Cambridge ;niversity in England @ppointed )ead of the Carifta 7ecretariat in 19"#* =resident of the Caribbean
evelopment Ban, in 19#$ n his boo, Economics of Development in Small Countries, he argued that integration was essential for the regions economic survival* since this was the
best way to overcome the limits of si4e )e also argued that political integration would allow the Caribbean to have more influence on international affairs.
N+).#% M#%"(
Believed in regional unity. )e believed that people of the Caribbean should come
together to face the adverse social and economic conditions which they faced. )e participated in plans for the first Conference of the Caribbean Labour Congress. )e 5oined 6rantley @dams on the si2 day lecture tour of the ;7 to secure funding to
offset the cost of hosting the 7econd Caribbean L abour Congress. )e attended meetings after meetings in the series of co nferences that lead to the creation of the 'est ndies ederation
OBJECTIVE : DESCRIBE THE CONSTITUTIONAL ARRAN>EMENTS USED B? NON EN>LISH SPEA@IN> CARIBBEAN TERRITORIES AS ALTERNATIVES TO INDEPENDENCE
7ome Caribbean countries have chosen to remain politically lin,ed to the metropoles which coloni4ed them. we will loo, at three different arrangements for these islands. PUERTO RICO
=uerto Dico is a commonwealth in free association with the ;7@. This means that its
residents are ;7 citi4ens. @ccording to its constitution of 19/+* the governor is eFuivalent to the =rime inister in the British Caribbean countries. The 6overnor is elected by a vote from the citi4ens for
a term of four years. The =uerto Dican parliament is divided into two bodies: a 7enate and a )ouse of
Depresentatives. embers of both houses are elected for a four year terms. =uerto Dico is represented in the ;7 Congress by a resident commissioner who is directly elected for a four year term. @lthough the commissioner can ma,e the islands views
,nown to Congress* he or she cannot vote. The ;7@ is responsible for =uerto Dicos defence. =uerto Dico benefits from most ;7 federal social and welfare programmes.
NETHERLAND ANTILLES
The 0etherland @ntilles is a tripartite ,ingdom in which e2ecutive authority is vested in
the sovereign of the 0etherlands. The sovereigns authority is e2ercised by a governor nominated by the local government
and appointed by the Crown. There is a Council of inisters responsible to the Legislative @ssembly which is appointed by the governor.
n matters that affect the islands* central government ma,es all decisions. There are local governments for Curacao* Bonaire and the northern group of islands. The metropolitan government only e2ercises its authority in international issues affecting the 0etherlands.
>UADELOPE4 MARTINIUE AND ST MARTIN
6uadeloupe* artiniFue and 7t artin are departments of rance. E2ecutive authority is represented by a commissioner and other officials. There is an elected legislative council. There are smaller bodies called communes* each of which is administered by an elected
municipal council. The islands are represented in the rench 0ational @ssembly* rench 7enate and on the
rench Economic and 7ocial Council. The courts in rance have authorities over the islands.
