Considers the second part of Eric Williams book Capitalism and Slavery, where he argues that "Britain's changing attitude to slavery and the slave trade was essentially a function of her changing economic situation and interest." Looks at the Williams' "interpretation of Pitt's conduct, of the abolition of the British slave trade in 1807, and of Palmerston and the suppression of the foreign slave trade."
"C.L..R. James' 1938 seminal text, The Black Jacobins, and Eric Williams' 1944 tour de force, Capitalism and Slavery, constitute much more than foundational works in West Indian nationalist historiography. Both authors, born in colonial Trinidad and writing Caribbean history within its Atlantic context, made significant contributions to development discourse within the traditions of Enlightenment Idealism. As critical realists they considered popular historiography indispensable to any attempt to root philosophical ideals within recognizable terms of everyday living. In The Black Jacobins, James documents the struggles of the enslaved peoples of St. Dominique, the mercantile showpiece of French colonial capitalism in the West Indies for freedom and social justice. In addition, he details the transformation of this successful anti-slavery rebellion into something much more elaborate in terms of Atlantic history--the creation of Haiti, the Caribbean's first nation-state. In Capitalism and Slavery, Williams expands and develops the paradigm of African labor enslavement and European capital liberation, first outlined by James in The Black Jacobins, that became the basis of the revolutionary reorganization of productivity for European economic development." (author)
Looks at Barbados's experience of abortion law reform undertaken in the 1980s. The movement was led by then Cabinet Minister and lawyer Billie Miller. Documents the nuances, important moments, key strategies and major players in the reform movement, and highlights the critical role that Miller played in getting the Medical Termination Act passed in 1983. Background information on the situation of Barbadian women and the nature of parliamentary governance at that time is also addressed in order to give context to the politics surrounding the issue.
African American Research Center, Library, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Notes:
264 p, Contents: Charisma and populism : theoretical reflections on leadership and legitimacy / Anton L. Allahar -- Errol Barrow (1920-78) / Hilbourne A. Watson -- The limits of charisma : Grenada's Eric Gairy (1922-97) and Maurice Bishop (1944-83) / Pedro A. Noguera -- Linden Forbes Burnham (1923-85) / Linden Lewis -- Cheddi Jagan (1918-97) / Percy C. Hintzen -- A very public private man : Trinidad's Eric Eustace Williams (1911-83) / Patricia Mohammed -- Jamaica's Michael Manley (1924-97) / Brian Meeks -- Cuba's Fidel Castro / Nelson P. Valdés
