Caribbean Studies 

GROUP 4 – The English

Historical overview on
the Importance of The
English Culture on
The Growth and
Development of
Caribbean Region.
Group Members: Nicarlyle
Hanchard, Christian Douglas,
Justin Nicolson Neville Braham,
Joel Edwards, Tyrese  Bennett,
Ashanti McPherson
Teacher: Mrs. Richards
 Introduction
In this presentation we will be giving a
Historical Overview on the importance
of the English Culture on the Growth
and Development of Caribbean region
and its societies.
ETA
 When Did They Arrive? 
  The English’s first presence in the
Caribbean dates back to the 1560’s.
A time in which west country
mariner and merchant, John
Hawkins from Plymouth set sail for
a series of voyages to the
Caribbean in which he traded
African slaves to the Spanish.
John Hawkins
 When did they arrive?
Continued

Additionally, the first Caribbean

islands to be settled by the English
were St Kitts (1623), Barbados
(1627) and Nevis (1628) which
were first used for tobacco
production.
Impact
 Impact of English Culture on The Growth of The
Caribbean 
“To be a colonizer of a region is to have a large impact on that region’s growth and development”
- Anonymous

The English have impacted Caribbean Development in a multitude of

forms. These, however, can be classified into 4 categories:
- Economic Development
- Political Development
- Social Development
- Cultural Development
Economic Impact
• English institutions allowed former English colonies to benefit from legal
systems and economic policies that were favorable for economic
performance, compared to other colonial powers.
• And sugar! Sugar export was brought by the English is still a significant
source of added revenue to many countries in the Caribbean.

For example: Sugar is Jamaica's

largest agricultural export,
earning $66 million in 2001.
Sugar is also used for the
production of molasses (79,653
tons in 2002) and rum (24.2
million liters in 2002)
Economic Impact cont’d
• English institutions (which contain racial and ethnic bias) have also
caused economic situations where lighter skinned minority holds much
economical power while the dark skinned majority holds little economic
power and are usually impoverished.
Political Impact
• Ex-colonies adoption of the Westminster Model of government
For example: Countries such as: Antigua and Barbuda, Grenada, Jamaica
and St. Kitts all still have the Westminster Model of government.

• Moreover, through slavery and indentureship, colonialism altered the

ethnic composition of Caribbean populations, which later influenced the
organization of political parties in some countries.
For example: In Trinidad where the electoral system is based on zero-
sum competition for popular support. In particular, representation tends to
become communalized so that the party in power symbolizes not the
public will at large but sectional solidarity and ethnically particularized
interests.
Social Impact
• The English have impacted social development by influencing the way
ethnicity is perceived and subsequently causing colorism in the Caribbean
For example: In Jamaica many people part take in skin bleaching because
of the association of lighter skin complexion being more attractive than
darker skin complexion.

• The English have also

influenced how different
cultures from different
ethnicities are perceived
Cultural Impact
The English have impacted the Caribbean's:
Religion
Language
Cuisine
Fashion
Creolizations
and Cultural Customs
What they brought
What did the English bring?
African slaves

Sugar-cane

Diseases (smallpox, whooping cough, and measles)

What did the English bring?
Tea

English Fashion/Clothing English sports (Cricket,

Netball, etc.)
What did the English bring?
English Pastimes (Maypole Dance, etc.) Food
Elements of Culture Retained
(Material/Non-Material )
 Elements of Material and non material Culture Retained

    There are many elements of English culture that are still retained
in the Caribbean region. Some are listed below:
    Religion (non-material)– for example in Jamaica Christianity is
the capital religion. Jamaica also has the most churches per
square mile of any country in the world, with over 1,600
churches all over Jamaica.
Tea (Material) - for example in Grenada a lot of residents drink
tea habitually
Elements of Material and non material Culture Retained
Continued
    Language (Non-Material)- for example in St. Kitts English is
the official language
     Rum (Material) – for example in Barbados Rum is a large part
of its culture it is also famous for its Mount Gay Rum. Barbados
is also considered the birthplace of rum, and the Mount Gay
distillery - founded in 1703 - is believed to produce the oldest
rum found anywhere in the world. It should be noted however
that even though rum originated in the W.I. it was still a large part
of British culture and is very present throughout the Caribbean
    
End of Presentation
The Historical Overview
Bibliography/References