Overview

Nestled in the heart of the Lesser Antilles, Guadeloupe is the picture of a Caribbean paradise, a butterfly-shaped land of sun-drenched beaches and verdant rainforests. But beneath its idyllic surface lies a history as turbulent and dramatic as its nearby volcano. This comprehensive history delves beyond the tourist brochures to uncover a story forged in the crucible of colonialism, tempered by the brutal realities of slavery, and shaped by a relentless struggle for freedom and identity. The narrative begins long before European sails broke the horizon, exploring the rich societies of the indigenous Arawak and Carib peoples, before chronicling the arrival of Columbus and the violent French colonization that decimated the native population and irrevocably altered the island's destiny. The island's fate was sealed by the rise of ""white gold""-sugar. This book meticulously details the development of the vast plantation economy, a system built entirely on the mass importation of enslaved Africans. It explores life and death under the infamous Code Noir, the legal framework that codified human beings as property, and examines Guadeloupe's crucial role as a jewel in the French colonial crown, so profitable that France once chose to cede its vast Canadian territories to Britain in exchange for its return. The narrative navigates the shockwaves of the French Revolution, which brought a brief, bloody, and ultimately betrayed period of emancipation under the Jacobin commissioner Victor Hugues. This history chronicles the relentless and heroic struggle for freedom that defines the Guadeloupean spirit. It recounts the tragic story of Napoleon's re-establishment of slavery in 1802 and the doomed but legendary resistance of Louis Delgrès, Joseph Ignace, and the pregnant warrior Solitude, who chose to die as free people rather than return to chains. The story continues with the final abolition of slavery in 1848 and its complex aftermath, including the arrival of indentured laborers from India who added another rich layer to the island's already multifaceted cultural and ethnic makeup. Following Guadeloupe into the modern era, this account explores its complex transition from colony to an overseas department of France after World War II. It sheds light on the unfulfilled promises of equality, the violent social conflicts that scarred the 20th century, and the powerful independence movements that challenged French rule. The book culminates in an analysis of contemporary Guadeloupe, grappling with the economic challenges that led to the massive 2009 general strike against exploitation (pwofitasyon), the complexities of its status as an Outermost Region of the European Union, and the vibrant, resilient Creole culture that has emerged from this profound and powerful history.

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