The Caribbean’s Cultural History Essay -- Culture Caribbean History Ra

The Caribbean’s Cultural History Columbus’ discovery in 1492 set off a chain of events in the emergence of the Caribbean society, as Knight states in his book The Caribbean. "The first voyage of Columbus in 1492 fortuitously discovered a whole new world and set in motion a chain of events whose profound consequences gave new directions to the histories of Europe, Africa, the Americas, and Asia. It was the voyages of Columbus and those who followed him that brought the Americas into the consciousness of the Europeans"(Knight 28). Many people question whether the discovery made by Columbus was beneficial or deteriorating for the indigenous people of the Caribbean. It was the exploration and discoveries by Columbus that further led to the exploitation of the newfound colonies and its native people. But without this exploitation, the Caribbean would not be as rich in culture as it is today. For instance, Puerto Ricans, Jamaicans, and Dominicans would not be who they are today if Columbus would not have conquered the indigenous people of the island, and set off the proceeding sequence of events. Eventually during the slave trading period, the exploitation expanded into Africa, as Europe, and especially Spain, had high hopes and expectations for the Caribbean colonies. The Europeans saw these newfound colonies as trading posts, and many saw the discovery of these islands as a way to expand and convert the indigenous people of the islands into Christianity, and exploit their land in search of gold and other valuabl e resources. The history of the Caribbean is very unique and diverse. The progress and advancement of each island complied with the European country in control of it. One of the most common characteristics of the ... ...of the Caribbean would not be so rich in culture. It was the Caribbean’s unique chain of events, which helped to shape the culture and traditions of the area, and African slavery was just another major aspect. It was the slave experience then, which helped to further define what we characterize as Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, Haitians, and Jamaicans today. Bibliography Beckles, Dr. Hillary, Verene Shepard. Caribbean Slave Society and Economy, The New Press, New York, N.Y. 1991. Cliff, Michelle. Abeng. Penguin Group, 1984. Knight, Franklin W. The Caribbean, The Genesis Of a Fragmented Nationalism. Oxford University Press, New York, N.Y. 1990. Benitez-Rojo, Antonio. The Repeating Island, Duke University, Durham & London, 1992. Mintz, Sidney W. The Caribbean as a Socio-Cultural Area, Peoples and Cultures of the Caribbean, Garden City, New Jersey, 1971.