Summary
Praise for the previous edition:
"...well researched...concise, but interesting..."—American Reference Books Annual
A Brief History of the Caribbean, Second Edition, is an overview of the historical events that have taken place and shaped the islands of the Caribbean Sea, from their ancient settlement by Indigenous peoples to the arrival of Christopher Columbus in 1492 and the period of colonization, revolution, and independence that followed. The new edition reaches up to the present, covering the major political upheavals and economic developments of the early 21st century in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, and other parts of the Caribbean. A Brief History of the Caribbean, Second Edition, also examines the impacts of major hurricanes and the Covid-19 pandemic on the region, as well as how immigration has affected its many islands and nations in the 2010s and 2020s.
The historical perspective is enriched by analysis of the culture, manners, and morals of particular periods, often highlighting the connection between literary activities and politics, such as the Negritude Movement, and literary figures and politicians, such as Juan Bosch in the Dominican Republic. Complementing the narrative are sidebars with important and unusual information on topics such as women pirates, meals eaten by enslaved people, and the cultural preference for strong leaders in the region. The authors attempt to give readers a multicultural perspective that will allow them to understand events from both an insider’s and an outsider’s viewpoints.
Coverage includes:
- Pre-Columbian Inhabitants
- Two Worlds in Collision: The Spanish Conquest
- European Challenges to Spanish Rule
- Revolutions in America, France, and Haiti
- Puerto Rico, Cuba, and the Spanish-Cuban-American War
- Cuban Dictatorship and Revolution
- Commonwealth, Federation, and Autonomy: Puerto Rico, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and the Dutch Caribbean
- The Caribbean in the 21st Century.
About the Author(s)
D.H. Figueredo is director of the Library and Media Center at Bloomfield College. He has taught courses on Latin American literature at Montclair State University and Bloomfield College, and lectured at major international universities. His books include Encyclopedia of Caribbean Literature and Encyclopedia of Cuba, and he has written several other works of fiction and nonfiction. He regularly contributes to Booklist, Multicultural Review, and other publications.
Frank Argote-Freyre is assistant professor at Kean University. He has earned a Ph.D. in Latin American history from Rutgers University and is the author of Fulgencio Batista: From Revolutionary to Strongman.