It was during Christopher Columbus’s second voyage in 1493 that he came across several islands in the Caribbeans and the first Europeans entered the region. From then on, several of the islands, including Antigua, came under Spanish control. For over a century, there was little contest over the area- it was in the early 1600s that other European countries made their presence in the colonization of the region. England officially colonized Antigua in 1632, beginning centuries of colonial power dynamics and labor exploitation.
Map of Caribbean Islands 1680
The goal of Europeans in the Caribbean was to gain wealth. This hunger for wealth is what lead European colonizers into the African slave trade, bringing Africans against their will to provide the labor needed to support sugar plantations. In the years that slaves were used for labor in the Caribbeans, over 5 million people were enslaved. With the inhumane treatment of African people on the islands, a caste system existed with white people at the top, black people at the bottom, and mixed individuals falling in between. This Othering has continued throughout all of Antigua’s history.
Slaves cutting sugar cane in Antigua 1823
1834 saw the emancipation of slaves, quickly leading to economic downfall in Antigua. Newly freed individuals still did not have full financial freedom, and many stayed intertwined with their previous owners. Some even faced punishment if they did not continue to work for their former owners.
British presence remained in Antigua into the 20th century. In 1939 Vere Cornwall Bird led the country’s first labor union. He pressured sugar workers to strike for higher wages. He became a part of the colonial legislature in the 1950s and when Antigua finally gained independence in 1981, Bird became the prime minister. Within the Antiguan Labor Party, however, was much corruption, and Antigua became a hub for criminal activity and money laundering. Fraud and drug trafficking were common within higher government officials.
Sir Vere C. Bird
Tourism grew as the country’s primary economic producer. In 2011, tourism accounted for nearly 75% of GDP. Tourism is a primary topic addressed in Kincaid’s A Small Place. Especially emphasized is the fact that tourism has not led to much growth and development for the locals, but rather the expansion of the resorts themselves. The resorts and a few wealthy individuals have more access to the wealth in Antigua, rather than the country itself- this closely mimics the power dynamics of slave times, putting into question how much the country has really progressed. The focus on tourism has resulted in failing infrastructure, lacking education, and continued instability.
Sources
Kaufman, Michael T. “Vere Bird, 89, Who Led Antigua to Freedom.” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 June 1999, https://www.nytimes.com/1999/06/30/world/vere-bird-89-who-led-antigua-to-freedom.html.
Lambert, David. “An Introduction to the Caribbean, Empire and Slavery.” British Library, 16 Nov. 2017, https://www.bl.uk/west-india-regiment/articles/an-introduction-to-the-caribbean-empire-and-slavery.
Momsen, Janet D., et al. “History of Antigua and Barbuda.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., https://www.britannica.com/place/Antigua-and-Barbuda/History.
Owuor, Sophy. “What Are the Biggest Industries in Antigua and Barbuda?” WorldAtlas, WorldAtlas, 16 Sept. 2019, https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/what-are-the-biggest-industries-in-antigua-and-barbuda.html.
Image Sources
“Cutting the Sugar Cain.” The British Library, https://www.bl.uk/onlinegallery/onlineex/carviewsvirtex/persjour/sugarcane/012zzz0001786c9u00004000.html. Accessed 27 Nov. 2021.
“The Western Ilands 1680.” The New York Public Library, 2015, https://live-cdn-www.nypl.org/s3fs-public/styles/sidebar_square/public/ca_c_0.jpg?itok=8XRDkATd. Accessed 27 Nov. 2021.
“Sir Vere C. Bird.” South Florida Caribbean News, 21 Jan. 2020, https://sflcn.com/in-search-of-inspiration-sir-vere-c-bird/. Accessed 27 Nov. 2021.
You present a lot of great information about Antigua and its history. I think this really connects to our topic of third worlds and how many of the countries defined as first-world take advantage and exploit these other countries because they see them as “less than,” all because they feel like they have more power over them. This is true beyond Antigua, and I think this also connects to tourism and how many citizens of first-world countries take advantage of their believed power and use it to travel to other places, expecting that power to remain. This is also seen in other texts that we’ve read, like Interpreter of Maladies, and what it means to be a tourist as well as hear from a local/native to their perspective on these tourists.
The ideas of colonization and Othering connect to this book regarding tourism and the effects it has on the country itself. I did not consider how power dynamics can relate to tourism and differences in wealth. I am a traveler myself and it seems that I overlook how some places are misrepresented based on the wealthy resorts. This can relate to the other reading this week in the sense of how you should not overlook what is in front of you.
You did a nice job with your context presentation. It makes sense that tourism has taken the attention away from infrastructure and education.
I really like that you connected the Othering into this, because they do go hand and hand. I personally do not know very much about Antigua and the history, so this was very eye opening and gave me a new understanding. I did not think to connect tourism with wealth and power before, but when I think back I can see how people do think that they have the same power once they enter a new place, which is not true. Power fluctuates wherever you are, and you may not have the same as you did in a different place.
You provided so much helpful information in understanding Antigua’s past. I find your question as to how much Antigua has really progressed since the time when there were slaves very thought-provoking. It’s definitely something the reading challenges you to think about.
You did a great job giving context to the point that your were trying to make. Many countries that have tourism as their leading industry experience the same discrepancies as Antigua, which is why many tourist hot spots in in the same area as poor citizens. I think you did a great job highlighting that fact in Antigua, and how the island’s history has resulted in it.
I really enjoyed reading your context presentation and the way you connected othering into colonization. The information you provided on Antigua’s past was very insightful and helped me to learn several things I was unaware of before reading your presentation. Before reading this, I never considered the thought that tourism has taken away from infrastructure and education. I also think the connection to tourism and wealth is seen significantly in fancy resorts and places out of ones budget. I think this is an excellent connection made and really made me rethink tourism around the world, along with myself while touring different parts of the world and the way I view certain infrastructure and wealth.
I enjoyed reading your context presentation and think you provided a lot of background information for the book. I like that you discussed othering in this and how it is incorporated into the colonization of Antigua.
I think you brought up an important point regarding tourism, and this being a way that Antifuga gains most of its revenue. Although it may seem that tourism is good for a country and brings money in, this can be detrimental as it perpetuates the wealth divide that is already present.
Great job! You really helped to lay out what happened during the colonization period and how that led to the unequal treatment of African Americans in the slave trade. Just as there was a disparity in a caste system back then, tourism has created the same inequity because there is no focus on the locals, only on the resorts.
This post is very insightful and you did a great job at discussing the history of Antigua and the consequences of colonization. Some of the history is very disturbing and is a great example of Othering as you discussed. It is scary to know that just a few individuals are responsible for the majority of Antigua’s wealth just like a lot of other countries in the world as well.
This post was very interesting to read because I did not know much about the history of Antigua and the racial discrimination that still plagues that country. I also thought it was interesting how you discussed Othering in your post and how the concept has had an impact on the different social classes in Antigua that are still based off of race and ethnicity.
You did a nice job by connecting othering and colonization. I didn’t know a lot about Antigua history and your presentation helped me understand better the concept of the book. After reading your post it make sense that tourism has taken the attention away from infrastructure and education.
I was very unfamiliar with Antigua until now so thank you for sharing the history of the country. Yeah if the resorts are the only ones making the money and the citizens are working hard for that to happen then they are still being mistreated heavily.
Great work on this post!
I really enjoyed your connection of Antigua’s colonial past to its current focus on tourism. I think it’s a great way to connect how Othering occurred in Antigua’s past, with European colonizers owning much of the wealth of the island, and the Othering that Antigua is currently experiencing, with tourist resorts and their owners owning most of the wealth.
I think you brought up many great points in your context presentation. All this information with Christopher Colombus is a good refresher, and learning about Antigua was also very interesting to learn. I appreciate you going through your time and making this context presentation for us, it was very helpful. Nice job!
I think it is really interesting how tourism has led to such devastating side effects. It is odd to think of it as limiting the ability to grow. This post was well constructed and provided great information.
Thank you for sharing! I like how you mentioned the history of Antigua as well as its affinity for tourism. I also thought it was interesting that you mentioned how tourism usually only helps the elite or those who are owners of major cooperations.
This context presentation was really insightful and made me think more about the affects of tourism on the countries original history. I often think people vacation to places for the touristy attractions, nice resorts etc. but really don’t spend time learning and appreciating the countries roots and history. This should be something we all pay more attention to.
Colonization being such a huge topic and having affected millions of people can sometimes make it hard to contextualize what being colonized actually meant for certain countries. Antigua’s longterm colonization and foreign control puts things like the countries current position and situation in perspective.
This is an excellent piece, and you did an excellent job of outlining Antigua’s history and the ramifications of colonization. Some of the history is unpleasant and, as you mentioned, is a fantastic example of Othering. It’s frightening to realize that, like many other countries across the world, the majority of Antigua’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few individuals.
Thank you for breaking down the history of colonization in Antigua. It makes me wonder what things would be like for Antigua if history had played out differently. If the native people had grown their home and government based on their values and need, and this wasn’t a place reliant on the tourism industry, they would probably be thriving in on a beautiful land. It’s hard to even understand how this place would survive without tourism now at this point in history.
Great post! It is important to discuss how tourism can contribute greatly to a country’s GDP while not contributing much to locals’ well being.
I had a very little understanding of colonization and the problems it caused. Antigua is just one of the many examples of the horrors of colonization. It was though provoking when you talked about tourism, I never really thought about how it affects the locals.
Nice post! I didn’t really realize the history behind this colonization. I never thought about how tourism may only be benefitting the actual resorts and not bringing any wealth or growth to the locals themselves.
Well done presentation. I appreciate the amount of work and research you put into providing quality information about Antigua and the nation’s history. It definitely brings to light a lot of the situation going on in Antigua.
Although many know the impact of colonization, especially when Christopher Columbus as well as others, took over many countries, I did not know the history for the country of Antigua specifically. The way you explained it, and including the effects of tourism, was very insightful.
I think that you did a really nice job explaining the history behind the colonization, because it is something that not everyone might be fully aware of and know very well. I never looked at it in a way that tourism only benefits the resorts that we all stay in, and the growth and economy of the country stays the same and continues to be affected.