This thesis is a comparative economic study of domestic food production by the peasantry in two West Indian societies, Trinidad and Guadeloupe. It examines the period 1897 to 1946; Trinidad was then under British rule while Guadeloupe was a French colony. The study relates the evolution of domestic food production to fluctuations in export agriculture, revealing a strong inverse relationship between the two, in both colonies. The level of food imports also stimulated or stiffled domestic food production. Therefore, the domestic agricultural sector in Trinidad and Guadeloupe alike was never autonomous. The study draws on underdevelopment theory to highlight the analysis. The role of the colonial government is the major contrast between the two colonies. In Guadeloupe, except during W.W.II, the government was extremely supportive of the peasantry and their domestic food crops. In Trinidad, on the other hand, the government was largely indifferent, except during the Second World War. The difference in policy stemmed from republicanism in Guadeloupe and the Crown colony system in Trinidad. The study relies heavily on (basic) statistical information as well as other primary data. But information on domestic food production has, understandably, been difficult to come by. As a consequence the research has drawn on significant pieces of secondary works as well. As a comparative work, this thesis is distinctive as there are very few studies of West Indian history which compare British and French West Indian colonies. Moreover, there are equally few works in English on the French West Indies.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:bl.uk/oai:ethos.bl.uk:307731 |
| Date | January 1995 |
| Creators | Taitt, Glenroy Ruthven Peter |
| Publisher | University of Sussex |
| Source Sets | Ethos UK |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
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