Historical Dictionary Of The British Caribbean

As separate entities and later a unified state, the Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago boast very unique histories. Initially claimed by the Spanish in 1498, these territories were affected by the imperialist thrusts of various European nations including the French, British and Dutch. The mercantilist infiltrations of these groups, particularly in the 18th century, led to the islands’ belated development as sugar producers and, particularly Trinidad, as a cradle of migration. World War II and the development of the oil and tourism industries in the 20th century transformed the economies, culture and society of these islands. The country has been one of the most important in the region in relation to economic and political leadership and as a centre of cultural development. Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 500 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent resource for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Trinidad and Tobago.

For much of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Britain was the dominant world power, its strength based in large part on its command of an Empire that, in the years immediately after World War I, encompassed almost one-quarter of the earth’s land surface and one-fifth of its population. Writers boasted that the sun never set on British possessions, which provided raw materials that, processed in British factories, could be re-exported as manufactured products to expanding colonial markets. The commercial and political might was not based on any grand strategic plan of territorial acquisition, however. The Empire grew piecemeal, shaped by the diplomatic, economic, and military circumstances of the times, and its speedy dismemberment in the mid-twentieth century was, similarly, a reaction to the realities of geopolitics in post-World War II conditions. Today the Empire has gone but it has left a legacy that remains of great significance in the modern world. The Historical Dictionary of the British Empire covers its history through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Britain.

The small Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago have been treated as a single political entity for less than one hundred years. A union of two separate colonies started by Great Britain and Spain, each island has a substantially different ethnic makeup reflecting distinct lines of development. Tobago was first claimed by the English in the 16th century. Overwhelmingly African, its few European influences are almost exclusively English and Protestant. Economically, it has been a plantation colony for most of its recorded history, but in recent years has included tourism as part of its economic structure. In contrast, Trinidad is an outstanding example of a racial and cultural kaleidoscope, with a considerably diversified economic base made up of agricultural, extractive, manufacturing, tourist, and financial industries. Annexed by the British 200 years ago, this one time Spanish colony was strongly influenced by French creole culture and has become further diversified by immigrants from British India, China, Italy, Lebanon, and the West Indies. Compiled by Michael Anthony, renowned Trinidadian writer, the Historical Dictionary of Trinidad and Tobago brings together in one volume complete and easy-to-find information on this small but fascinating Caribbean country. Its concise dictionary entries describe the important people, places, events, and institutions of the nation as well as its society, culture, and economy. The comprehensive bibliography provides scholars with an important resource for further information on the islands. Includes maps and a chronology.

The relationship between the world’s largest power and the small nations of the Caribbean has been and remains rich and varied. The history of political and security collaboration is long, if not untroubled: the United States is the Caribbean’s predominant trade and investment partner, and U.S. culture is as pervasive in the region as are U.S. goods. At the same time, the proximity, smallness, and economic dependence of these countries have all contributed to a tendency for the United States to seek to dominate the region, often enough by resort to hard power. From the nineteenth century through the Cold War, the United States has resorted to military interventions and coercive diplomacy to ensure that this region, so close to its shores, remains stable and friendly. The Historical Dictionary of United States-Caribbean Relations contains a chronology, an introduction, appendixes, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on important personalities, politics, economy, foreign relations, religion, and culture.

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