Research Description:

The Crossroads of Empire: Proto-Globalization in the British West Indies

The term “globalization” has emerged as a key concept to describe the contemporary era.  Debated in both academic and popular discourse, globalization has widespread implications not only for the growth of the global economy, but also for the defense of national sovereignty and the development of popular cultural, creating both “winners and losers” through increasing worldwide integration.  A central question in the debate is whether globalization is a new phenomenon unique to the post-World War II era or has origins that can be traced into the past.  My research explores this question by focusing on the small island archipelago of the Caribbean.  The Caribbean was one of the first regions to experience European colonialism, a driving force of globalization.  The region, moreover, is currently home to the last remaining colonies in the world.  The Caribbean thus presents an ideal laboratory for examining the impact of the globalizing forces that created sustained networks of economic interdependence and cultural interaction.

I intend to focus on three consequences of globalization during the nineteenth century: economic integration, widespread migration, and ecological degradation.  Long entrenched in the global trade networks of European colonial powers, the Caribbean remained the primary provider of tropical commodities, such as sugar and coffee, during the nineteenth century.  Local economies serviced distant markets and foreign powers.  To produce these commodities, European powers imported forced labor, first in the form of African slaves, and then, after the abolition of slavery in 1833, Asian indentured servants, into the islands.  Forced and voluntary migration resulted in the interaction of numerous cultures in a small region.  The monoculture plantation system, requiring clearing of vast tracts of land, resulted in widespread deforestation and soil degradation.

To examine these impacts of globalization in the Caribbean, my research centers on the British colonies of Jamaica and British Guiana.  By examining the historical origins of globalization, I hope to explore how Caribbean colonies, once among the most valuable assets in the world, are now plagued by problems of development.