The Effect of Slavery on the Identity of Cuba Essay

The Effect of Slavery on the Identity of Cuba The Caribbean is a diverse region with a unique history. The progress and advancement of each island complied with the European country in control of it at the time. The Caribbean was conquered and colonized soon after Columbus’ discovery in 1492. A similar aspect of the heterogeneous region has been its plantations. The plantations were an important aspect of the cultural history of the Caribbean. Mintz believed that the plantations tied the colonies in the Caribbean to the European country that was colonizing it. He states: the plantation system was an agricultural design for the production of export commodities for foreign markets- a means for introducing agricultural capitalism to†¦show more content†¦Mintz believed that the plantation system was something positive that helped to shape each colony into what it presently is, he states the plantation system was not only an agricultural device; it also became the basis for entire societal design(Mintz 27). Benitez-Rojo, also believing that the plantation system was something positive, believed so because they created an economy in the primarily primitive Caribbean and it help them construct a structured economical system. Slavery in the Caribbean also played the role of shaping each colony’s identity and culture. When Europe began importing and shipping in slaves from Africa into the colonies, miscegenation occurred. As a result of slavery, a diverse Caribbean was created. It was molded by each individual’s island history and how it dealt with slavery, the integration of cultures, acculturation, and colonialism. The importation of about four million African slaves to the Caribbean was mainly what made these islands the melting pot that it is today. Today, Cuba is one of the most racially mixed islands in the Caribbean. Could the racial mixture possibly be the result of the impact of slavery in Cuba during the period of the colony’ s colonization? Could the ‘Afro-Cuban’ culture be the result of miscegenation, which was impacted by slavery in the island? SPAIN and the EVOLUTION of SLAVERY in CUBA Among the discovery of the rich lands ofShow MoreRelated Cuban Race Relations Essay2599 Words   |  11 PagesCuban Race Relations I. Introduction- Retracing a History of Racial Scorn in Cuban Society: The study of race relations in contemporary Cuba indelibly requires an understanding of the dynamic history of race relations in this ethnically pervasive island of the Caribbean. Cuban society, due to its historical antecedents of European colonialism and American imperialism, has traditionally experienced anguished and even tumultuous race relations. Racial disharmony has plagued Cuban societyRead MoreUnited States : A Citizen Of A Country1727 Words   |  7 Pagessociety. Race also played a role in the determination of which people were classified as being part of a nation and which rights they were granted. This showed the many concerns that Europe had over the fear of people losing their original cultural identities in a more advanced world and fear of an over turn by people of color. But many people were moving to new places for new opportunities whatever cost they had. Immigrants took great amounts of risk with dangerous travel and hardship of leaving theirRead MoreSlavery And The Middle Passage930 Words   |  4 PagesConclusion Slavery developed in the Americas because of exploration and need or labor. Europeans captured Africans and transported them across the deadly Middle Passage, to the Americas, where they would be forced to poor under harsh conditions. Slavery had many lasting effects. Africa was depopulated, and Africans in America lost their cultures and identity while Europeans made money from the resources being exported in the Americas at the expense of Africans’ lives and culture. Intro: AtlanticRead More Slavery in the Caribbean Essay1086 Words   |  5 PagesSlavery in the Caribbean The beginning of slavery in the Caribbean can be traced back to the emergence of piracy in the 16th and 17th centuries. This eventually led to the promotion of slave trading and sugar plantations. While enslaved on the sugar plantations, slaves were treated very poorly. Plantation owners treated their slaves so poorly that most were undernourished and diseased. Slaves were even forced to work on their spare time to provide for their own needs. Needless to say, slavesRead MoreThe Conflict Of The Civil War968 Words   |  4 PagesAmerican war, through the end of disheartening engagement in Vietnam, war has impacted the United State’s national identity, economy, both stimulating and crippling it, and the opportunities for minority groups that served in each conflict. Going into the Spanish-American war, the United States had just recently recovered from the Civil War, a battle to fix the societal rift caused by slavery. Decades after the internal bloodshed, the country still felt disconnected both geographically and morally. Read MoreGeorge Reid Andrews Afro Latin America1584 Words   |  7 PagesAmerica by George Reid, is the first attempt to focus on this side of the African Diaspora. With remarkable skill George Reid Andrews has woven the history of people who came from Africa to South America – broadly speaking. He traces their path from slavery to freedom and how this in turn left its stamp on the politics, economics and culture of this region. As individuals and as groups they pursued the path towards freedom, equality and acquirement of citizenship by being part of the military, politicalRead MoreCommunication and Family974 Words   |  4 Pageshumans to one another in a manner beyond compare. As demonstrated by the world’s past, written works have changed the course of history altogether. Harriet Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin changed the views of slavery in the north and continues to serve as a reminder of the effects of oppression; How the Other Half Lives by Jacob Riis illustrates the plight of poor working-class immigrants; consequently inspiring tangible change to the Lower East Side’s schools, buildings, and sweatshops;Read MoreEssay on Different Perspectives of The Caribbean1433 Words   |  6 Pageshistory of the Caribbean, all are written in different ways. In dealing with the history of the Caribbean there are many overlapping topics throughout all three works. With the prevalent overlap, of such topics as plantations, Creole culture, and the effect of colonization there is evidence of agreement, but more often than not there is a contrast in opinion. The most predominant topic in all three works was the issue and result of the plantation system. Because the pieces were written from peopleRead More Importance of Slavery to the Caribbean Essay2863 Words   |  12 PagesImportance of Slavery to the Caribbean The significance of the role played by slaves in the history of the Caribbean cannot be overemphasized. Nearly everything that defines the Caribbean today can be traced back to the advent of Africans to the sugar plantations several centuries ago. For this reason it is impossible to ignore the issue of slavery when studying the history of the Caribbean, as we are doing in this class. Through our numerous readings on the status of slaves and their treatmentRead MoreModernization Theory And Dependency Theory1811 Words   |  8 Pagesmodernized the way the rest of developed countries have, but could this be an old idea (Chasteen, Textbook p14 271). Modernization theory does seem to be linked to the War of Independence and post-colonial Latin America. During the wars of independence slavery was beginning to be abolished and Indigenous people were finally had a feeling of belonging to their native land (Chasteen, Textbook p. 9597). The citizens wanted to follow modern day England. Patriots were looking to eliminate control from Spanish