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Caribbean History

Grade 11

Section C: Caribbean political Development up to 1985

Main Topic: West Indies Federation

What was the West Indies Federation?

The West Indies Federation can be defined as a union of several states/countries joinedtogether for a
common purpose .It can also be defined as a single administrative unit of ten British West Indian
territories responsible for the economic, social and political development of the member islands

Members of the West Indies Federation

1. Antigua
2. Barbados
3. Dominica
4. Grenada
5. Jamaica
6. Montserrat
7. St. Kitts and Nevis
8. St. Lucia
9. St. Vincent
10. Trinidad and Tobago

Features shared by British Caribbean Territories, which encouraged them to federate.

1. They all had common political institutions.

2. They were all govern by the same laws
3. They spoke the same language
4. Their leaders shared a similar background.

Benefits expected from Federation by the British Government.

1. The cost of government would be reduced .It was felt that it would be cheaper and more
efficient to replace the governor and his staff in each colony with one governor - general and a
few officials for the entire English speaking Caribbean.
 2.
The colonies would be administered more efficiently.

Benefits expected from Federation by the British Governments.

1. I t was an important step toward ending CrownColony Government.

2. Provide greater scope for talented West Indians to become involved in government.
3. Attract more talented politicians to participate in regional government.

Administrative benefits

1. Reducing the cost of administrating the colonies.

2. A federation would require the establishment of regional institutions and the provision of
regional services. This would attract more qualified personnel, and so improve the efficiency
of the institutions and the provision of regional services. These would attract more qualified
personnel and so improve the efficiency of the institutions and the quality of the services
provided.
3. The savings on administration, and the presence of more qualified personnel would allow
the region to undertake much needed research which was previously too expensive for any
one unit to undertake.

Developmental benefits

1. The savings derived would reduce administrative costs could be invested in awell needed
infrastructure.
2. A federation would have the capacity to get loans and technical aid.
3. The establishment of a custom union and a common currency within the federation would
increase domestic market and internal trade.
4. It would provide better freedom of movement.

Reasons for federating

1. Desire forunity.
2. West Indian realization that independence would be more likely to come through federation
as the organization would be a more viable economic unit,
3. British government desired federation -to create administrative, political and economic
unity and efficiency.

Steps towards federation

1947: Montego Bay Conference

All colonies sent delegates to this conference. The conference established:

1. A regional economic commission to look at how economic unity could be achieved.

2. A standing closer Associations committee to write a federal constitution .This team was
 under the chairmanship of Hubert Ranceand so the report became known as the Rance report

These are some of the issues and concerns that were raised very early.

1. The need for a more efficient administration.

2. Need for a larger electorate than that afforded by the universal adult suffrage(1944)
3. Grater scope for expansion and usage of West Indian talents.

.1953-Londonconference

The report and findings were presented and sent to the islands. The conference sought to deal with the
issues that arose from the reports of the committees.

1950 –the Standing Closer Association Committee Meeting. The aim was to devise a federal constitution
.British Guyana and Honduras as well as the Virgin islands opted out of the federation as they feared
that a black majority would prejudice right of their of their east Indian population.

Council of State

Governor General ,Prime Minister and 10 ministers .Chaguaramus,Trinidad to be the site of the federal
capital.Grantly Adams would be the Prime Minister .Please note that in 1957 in the order of council set
up the federation.

1958: Jan the federation came into being.

Reasons for the failure of the federation.

1. The federal budgetwas insufficient.The original levy system producing 2 million pounds p.a. was
inadequate. Of the total Jamaica contributed 49%, Trinidad 39% and Barbados 9%.The larger
territories regarded this as unfair. Jamaicahowever, would not allow the federation to levy taxes
on custom duties.
2. The site of the federal capital was disputed by Jamaica particularly Jamaica’s was still, in 1958, a
U.S. military base.
3. Refusal of British Honduras, British Guiana and Virgin Islands to participate weakened the
original concept.
4. Culturally the people in the West Indies never really thought of themselves as Caribbean people,
but only as Jamaicans, orAntiguans, orGrenadians and so on.
5. Communication was a problem fore.g. Separation by sea, one currency and unifying custom
duties.
6. Politically there was difficulty over rules for electing members to a federal parliament.
 7. Jamaica referendum: inSept 1961 .Michael Manley held a referendum over federation.54% of all
Jamaicans opted forwithdrawal. Jamaicawithdrew and Eric Williams maintain ‘1 from 10
equalled 0’.Trinidad withdrew and in March 1962 the federation was dissolved.

Glossary of terms

Custom union: a government department responsible for taxes on all goods.

Nationalism: an ideology which holds that people’s loyalty should be to their country, rather than their
race, religion or any other identity.

Universal adultsuffrage: the right to vote by all adults.

Referendum: a general vote on a single political question that has been referred to them for a direct
decision.

Crown Colony: Crown or royal, colonies were ruled by a governor appointed by a monarch.