ST. LUCIA: SLAVERY, EMANCIPATION AND FREEDOM: Description of the culture as well as of the social, legal and economic situation of St. Lucia’s black ... to the ethno-history of the Caribbean

"ST. LUCIA: SLAVERY, EMANCIPATION AND FREEDOM" is a scientific work and an elaboration in English of my theses in German from the year 1985, which mainly refers to documents of the former PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE at Kew/London. It gives a specific view of the culture as well as of the social, legal and economic situation of St. Lucia’s black population during the 19th century, especially before and after the abolition of slavery, i.e. between the years 1834 and 1838. St. Lucia was colonized in the 17th and 18th century mainly by the French. From the beginning of the 19th century the British took over this island and administered it till its independence in the year 1979.The aim of this book was to establish a dynamic ethno-historical cultural picture of the black population of St. Lucia under British dominion before and after the abolition of slavery. In the year 1844 the British colonial government servant BREEN published a book with the title “St. Lucia: Historical, Statistical & Descriptive”, which gives among other things a general survey of the culture and living conditions of the black population of St. Lucia. BREEN's publication is a standard work in St. Lucia today. Other publications of the 19th century refer only sporadically to cultural, social or economic aspects regarding the black population of St. Lucia. With the collecting of material I started in the year 1983 within the scope of a co-operation project between the Institute of Ethnology of the University of Vienna Austria and two St. Lucian institutions engaged in the field of local cultural research and development, namely the Folk Research Centre (FRC) and the National Research and Development Foundation (NRDF), formerly Caribbean Research Centre (CRC). This project concentrated on research in ethnography and ethno-history of St. Lucia and the application of the research results in a developmental context. From March 20th till April 18th, 1983, I worked in Castries, St. Lucia, in the following archives and libraries:- St. Lucia Archaeological and Historical Society (National Trust)- Folk Research Centre- Morne Educational Complex Library and- Castries Central LibraryIn these institutions I mainly found literature of the 20th century. Through a scholarship granted by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Science and Research it was possible for me to work in archives and libraries in London for four months (July and August 1983 as well as February and March 1984). A further necessary stay in London for three weeks (May 1985) was financed by myself. I found the greatest amount of material in the PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE at Kew/London. There is the original version of the correspondence between the British colonial government of St. Lucia and the British government in London. Further I worked in the following libraries in London:- British Library: Department of Printed Books, Department of Manuscripts, Official Publications Library and Newspaper Department - Royal Commonwealth Society- Institute of Commonwealth Studies and- Foreign and Commonwealth Office.This book contains extensive excerpts of the original correspondence between the British Government in London and Saint Lucia.If you would like to get a free of charge READING SAMPLE of this book, please write to me: ernestine.kolar.st.lucia@outlook.com Read more