Movements

Towards
Independence
How did
we get
there??
 Movement Towards Political Independence
TOWARDS POLITICAL ENFRANCHISEMENT
With the exception of Haiti, blacks were effectively excluded from meaningful
political participation until the middle of the 20th century.
However, during this period a number of experiences and influences came to
bear which worked to promote the idea of political enfranchisement.

These included:
1. Migration within and outside of the Caribbean from around the turn of the
20th century, which exposed people to new and different experiences
philosophies and ideas.
2. Soldiers returning from the First World War, who had been fighting for the
motherland and who had experienced racism in Europe has been exposed
to radical political curry and very satisfied with the returning for
unemployment at home.
Movement Towards Political Independence
3. The great depression caused even greater economic and social hardship
resulting in a number of protests, strikes and riots across the region in the
period 1929-38. Outlets for migration were also closed off as countries
such as the United States imposed restrictions on immigration.
4. The emergence of the trade union movement was a means to highlight
all that was wrong within the colonial workforce, including racial disparities
in the distribution of jobs and ruling white disinterest. Trade unions became
advocates for the working classes, dedicated to promoting better working
conditions and improvements to health and education.
Movement Towards Political Independence
5. Trade union leaders became immensely popular among the masses, with
many, such as Norman Manley (Jamaica) Alexander Bustamante (Jamaica)
Uriah Butler (Trinidad and Tobago) going on to farm political parties.
6. The development of ideological currents in the 1920s and 1930s that
prompted anticolonialism, black consciousness and black pride. A major
proponent of this was Marcus Garvey through his UNIA, which had
chapters throughout the Caribbean and his newspapers, such as Negro
World and the blackman. There were also movements for independence in
the diaspora such as the Jamaica Progressive League in New York.
Movement Towards Political Independence
The labour unrest of the 1930s, combined with the emerging of black
radicalism, prompted the British government to set up the Moyne
commission also known as the West India Royal commission in 1938. The
commission recommended some constitutional reforms such as a wider
franchise and lower qualifications for candidates, but it's main
recommendation was that a colonial fund be established to take care of the
needs of the Colonial working class.
It was, however overtaken by the events of the second world war and the
progressive thinking that it unleashed and even before the war had ended,
the dismantling of Crown Colony rule and the route to self-determination
for the Caribbean began.
 Movements Towards Political
Independence
UNIVERSAL ADULT SUFFRAGE AND INTERNAL SELF-GOVERNMENT
The process of dismantling existing political systems in the Caribbean
occured at different times in different colonies, but the outline was broadly
similar with the first step being the introduction of universal adult suffrage.
This finally heralded this finally the dawn of mass politics in the Caribbean
and it was first put into effect in elections in Jamaica in 1944 followed by
Trinidad and Tobago in 1945, Barbados in 1950 and British Guiana in 1953.
Many Caribbean citizens saw the franchise as a way of expressing their
dissatisfaction with the neglect of the suffering under colonial rule and
further saw it as a way of electing representatives that would lobby for the
amelioration of their plight.
Universal Adult Suffrage
 Movements Towards Political
Independence
Mass politics involved in the creation of political parties and many of these
grew out of trade union movement and had the same leaders. The People’s
National Party (PNP) of Jamaica, for example grew out of the National
Workers Union (NWA) and was led by Norman Manley, while the Jamaica
Labour Party (JLP) grew out of the Bustamanti Industrial Trade Union led by
Alexander Bustamante.
Other parties across the region at independence included the Barbados
Progressive League, led by Grantley Adams, the People’s Progressive Party
led by Cheddi Jagan (Guyana) etc.
 Movements Towards Political
Independence
As well as the extension of the franchise the system of internal self
government was also progressively established in which the complete
authority of the governor under Crown colony wall was gradually replaced
by increasing the powers of elected members of government, including the
appointment of ministers of individual departments and a chief minister
from among these elected members.
At the same time post-war financial pressures on Britain's own economy,
coupled with greater willingness to divest itself of its colonial possessions,
came into play through a general trend of colonial disengagement
 Movements Towards Political
Independence
The move towards independence coupled with the British realization of the
economic damage continued protests against central rule would cause in
the region culminated in the granting of independence.
first for the ‘big four’ Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in 1962 then
Barbados and Guyana in 1966 followed later and overtime by smaller
colonies such as St. Kitts in 1983.
 Movements Towards Economic
Independence
ECONOMIC ENFRANCHISEMENT
With the movement towards political enfranchisement also went an
attempt to achieve some sort of economic enfranchisement which would
ultimately form the base for a degree of economic independence.
The term economic enfranchisement refers to the expansion of the
economy from a plantation system to a diversified economy. The British
Caribbean economy, to a large extent, was no longer dependent on a single
crop which was usually sugar.
 Movements Towards Economic
Independence
The beginning of this enfranchisement can be found in the movement of
the newly freed people off the estates to establish themselves as
independent proprietors. This gave rise to the free village movement and
the peasantry.
ENTREPRENEURIAL ACTIVITIES TO HELP ECONOMIC ENFRANCHISEMENT.
While political enfranchisement lay ultimately in the power of the
authorities to grant a degree of economic enfranchisement was directly
accessible to the poor classes through a variety of entrepreneurial ventures
including:
❖ The establishment of peasant groups and free villages to acquire and
cultivate land away from the plantation system. They were able to
diversity away from the main plantation crops, into other crops, such
as rice, banana, cocoa, coffee and arrowroot.
 Movements Towards Economic
Independence
❖ Migrating and seeking jobs outside their home states in order to send
home remittances.
❖ The establishment of small family businesses, such as shops and
launders
❖ Their involvement in savings societies and partner plans to acquire the
financial means to set themselves on the path to economic
enfranchisement.