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The first French colony in the Caribbean was founded on St. Kitts in 1624, the year after an English settlement was established on the island. A decade later, ambitious French colonists expanded their horizons and bravely tackled the Cannibal Isles, gaining a foothold on both Guadeloupe and Martinique between 1635 and 1636. The introduction of sugar cultivation in the latter part of the 17th century heralded l'age d'or blanc (the age of the white gold) and the expansion of French influence down the eastern Caribbean chain and north to St. Domingue (present-day Haiti). As slave ships unloaded their human cargo to work the vast tracts of sugarcane, sizable fortunes flowed into the planters' coffers, and the town of St. Pierre on Martinique developed into one of the most prosperous and fashionable cities in the West Indies. Things did not always run smoothly, of course. Britain challenged France's authority at every turn and by a combination of treaties and brute force occupied virtually every French Caribbean territory during the 18th centers. France did her best to return the compliment. Ironically the supporters of the ancient regime of Martinique actually called the enemy in to assist when the French Resolution decreed the abolition of slavery. The British ruled the island for 20 years without liberating the slaves. Napoleon (whose wife came tram a family of Martinique planters) reintroduced slavery in 1802, causing widespread chaos and slave rebellions in Haiti and Guadeloupe. The law was not repealed until 1848, when the plantations turned to East Indian indentured laborers to replace the freed slaves. Unlike the British islands, which were gently but firmly urged down the road to independence in the 20th century, France has bound her Caribbean territories more closely. Guadeloupe and Martinique have been integrated into the republic's political mainstream as semiautonomous overseas regions. The islanders have the same rights as their mainland counterparts and elect representatives to the Assembles Nationale in Paris, vote in French elections, and enjoy the benefits of substantial government subsidies that have elevated local standard of living way above average for the region. Dramatic volcanic eruptions raised Guadaloupe and Martinique from the seabed, and both islands boast beautiful mountain ranges choked with rain forest greenery and encircled by cane fields and banana plantations. There are well developed resorts on sandy be aches and upcountry hideaways, frenetic port cities and picturesque fishing harbors, where the catch of the day is flipped straight off the dock and into the frying pan. It is blissfully easy to escape into the hill. thanks to excellent roads funded by the mainland government), but whatever the tourist office says, a phrase book is a prerequisite for non-French speakers, English is not widely spoken, even within tile main resort areas. Geographically and culturally separate from their big sister islands, St. Barts and St.-Martin are nevertheless officially administered under the department of Guadeloupe. Neither island ever developed a plantation culture, and as a result they are more French than French Caribbean, with a high proportion of white French expatriate residents. Sadly, local culture and traditions have lost out to tourism, both the upscale and sophisticated model on St. Barts and the more accessible version peddled by St. Martin, but excellent food, great beaches, and the prospect of fun in the sun with a French accent definitely has its charms. If you have noteworthy cultural information on any Caribbean island, we would like to hear from you. Maybe you are an expert in geography, or knowledgeable on architecture, or specialize in Caribbean anthropology, or train tropical parrots, etc., send us an email. Share your knowledge and talents by sending your edited copy and permission so that we can include this on the Caribbean Cultural Center website. Please, no copyrighted material. |
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