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The Jamaican Peasantry in the
19th Century
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CAPE Caribbean History- Unit 1
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May/June 2015

Dianne-Lee Ferguson

Hypothesis

African Caribbean Peasantry could have singlehandedly revived the

dying economies of the British West Indies between 1850 and 1900 if they
were allowed to exist without planter hindrance.

You have the option of further narrowing your hypothesis to focus on

Jamaica instead of the British West Indies if the scope of the information is
too broad. As you progress through the body, please bear that in mind. You
hypothesis would not change. I t would read in Jamaica between 1850 and
1900 rather than in the British West Indies between 1850 and 1900.

Introduction

According to William Roseberry peasants are persons who, by owning

or controlling land and resources, produce primarily agricultural crops for
their own subsistence, but who also produce a surplus product, a portion of
which is appropriated, directly or indirectly, by representatives of a larger
economic system (47). The peasantry emerged from the proto-peasantry
which existed during the time of slavery.
Before emancipation in 1834 the proto-peasantry had emerged from
an attempt by the planters to save operational costs by allowing the slaves
to produce their own food rather than to provide it directly for them. The
slaves began to grow surplus and sold their produce in the markets. This
context allowed the slaves to cultivate skills such as those required to
engage in the market activities of selling and purchasing goods. Some slaves
were able to buy their freedom from the profits gained through this
enterprise. They were able to diversify the economy by providing a source
for produce such as yam and sweet potato. This group formed the bulk of the
peasantry of ex-slaves that developed after emancipation. Already capable
of being self-sufficient, they were able to make a living through cultivation.
Sidney Mintz, a Caribbean anthropologist, proposes that despite the
attempts of slavery to isolate the individual in his hardship the Caribbean exslaves were still able to maintain ideas of collective activity or cooperative
unity. This was exhibited through various economic practices which
subsequently contributed to the economy. William Arthur Lewis attributes
their economic contributions to the peasants determinacy to earn money to
separate themselves from the plantation.
Planters opposed the development of the peasantry due to consequent
independence it would provide the slaves. Providing land for the slaves to
cultivate would lead to a reduction of their labour force. Shortage of land
hindered the development of the peasantry. Therefore some ex-slaves were
forced to continue working on the plantation to support themselves. This was
beneficial to the planters that would have fewer labourers to work on their
plantations if not for the problem of land for the ex-slaves. To further
encourage this, the planters would use various methods to prevent the
peasants from obtaining land or land suitable for cultivation.

The assessment for the further potential of economic growth that the
peasantry represented is critical due to the many contributions it made to
the economy in its compromised state. An understanding of the possible
contributions that the peasantry could have achieved as well as of those that
they did in spite of the odds can lead to a further appreciation of the role
they played in the development of the economies of the British West Indies.
From the peasantry emerged the peasantry emerged the economic practices
of credit unions and collective ownership.
This research paper pursues evidence to show that the peasantry of
the British West Indies could have further contributed to enhancing its failing
economies if not for the opposition faced by the plantocracy in its attempt to
preserve the profitability of sugar production after the emancipation of
slaves and the subsequent apprenticeship period.
Please be mindful of the word limit as you proceed. This is not bad for
a first draft, however, you need to cite your sources more effectively,
condense where necessary and make use of your footnotes. Please see IA
examples.