CHST222: History of the Caribbean
Welcome to the library research page for CHST222: History of the Caribbean.
This course examines the development of societies in the Caribbean from the intrusion of European explorers and settlers c.1492 to the dismantling of the slave systems in the 19th century, and beyond to issues, such as independence, affecting the region in modern times.
Explore this page for useful resources and tools that will help you navigate this course.
London: Printed for Robt Sayer, 1774. Source: Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/74696181/
Useful Resources
TMU Libraries subscribe to many databases ideal for historical analysis, which are accessible to the TMU Community.
Visit the Journals and Articles page for vital databases that contain information not available on Google or Omni.
The following databases may be of particular use for this course.
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Historical Abstracts This link opens in a new windowThis database contains abstracts of articles from journals relating to the history of the world (excluding Canada and the US) from 1450 to the present. Also included are abstracts of important books in this field.
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Black Studies Center This link opens in a new windowBlack Studies Center brings together essential historical and current material for researching the past, present and future of African Americans, the wider African Diaspora, and Africa itself. It is comprised of several cross-searchable, component databases, which include:
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Black Short Fiction and Folklore This link opens in a new windowBlack Short Fiction and Folklore brings together pages and works of short fiction produced by writers from Africa and the African Diaspora from the earliest times to the present. The materials have been compiled from early literary magazines, archives, and the personal collections of the authors. Some 30 percent of the collection is fugitive or ephemeral, or has never been published before.
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Empire Online This link opens in a new windowThis resource brings together manuscript, printed and visual primary source materials for the study of 'Empire' and its theories, practices and consequences. The materials span across the last five centuries and are accompanied by a host of secondary learning resources including scholarly essays, maps and an interactive chronology.
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Slavery, abolition and social justice, 1490-2007 This link opens in a new windowThis resource on trans-Atlantic slavery and abolition brings together original manuscript and rare printed material from dozens of libraries and archives across the Atlantic world. Documents are presented alongside contextual essays contributed by leading academics in the field; each essay will have hypertext links to the primary sources it discusses.
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JSTOR This link opens in a new windowJSTOR has created a full text digital archive of core scholarly journals with complete back runs of many titles. As part of JSTOR’s agreement with publishers, current issues (usually the last 3 – 5 years) are not digitized by JSTOR and may be obtained elsewhere. The Toronto Metropolitan University Library has access to the entire content of JSTOR’s archival journal collections.
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ProQuest Research Library This link opens in a new windowProQuest Research Library provides one-stop access to thousands of full-text periodicals from one of the broadest, most inclusive general reference databases ProQuest has to offer. Search from a highly-respected, diversified mix of scholarly journals, professional and trade publications, and magazines covering over 150 subjects and topics.
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Project MUSE This link opens in a new windowProject Muse provides online access to the full text of over 250 quality journal titles from 40 scholarly publishers in the fields of literature and criticism, history, the visual and performing arts, cultural studies, education, political science, gender studies, mathematics and many others.
Toronto Metropolitan now has access to the following 2022 collections: African Studies, Gender Studies, History, Language and Linguistics, Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Middle Eastern Studies, Music, Native American and Indigenous Studies, Philosophy and Religion, Political Science and Policy Studies, Public Health and Health Policy, Russian and East European Studies -
Eighteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new windowBearing witness to what many scholars consider the three most significant events in world history – The American Revolution, The French Revolution and The Industrial Revolution – this resource features: Full-text search capabilities; Canonical titles of the period as well as contemporary works that analyze and debate those titles; Works by both well-known and lesser-known authors. Toronto Metropolitan has both original ECCO and ECCO 2.
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Nineteenth Century Collections Online This link opens in a new windowNineteenth Century Collections Online is a multi-year global digitization and publishing program focusing on primary source collections of the long nineteenth century, with archives releasing incrementally beginning in spring 2012.
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Politics Collection This link opens in a new windowThis collection provides access to renowned databases such as PAIS and WPSA, covering the international literature in political science and public administration/policy, along with related fields. Together, they provide abstracts, indexing and full text coverage of journal articles, country reports, dissertations, think-tank reports, working papers, government documents and more, including full-text from many leading political science and international relations journals.
Open Access Archival Newspapers
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Digital Library of the Caribbean (dLOC)(University of Florida)“A cooperative, digital library for resources from and about the Caribbean and circum-Caribbean. The website provides access to digitized versions of Caribbean culture, historical, and research materials currently held in numerous archives, libraries, and print collections” (cf. about page). It includes selected issues of historic newspapers including Gazettes. For newspapers, you may get better results starting in the section for its Newspaper Digital Library.
Consider also the resources found in the section of this guide called Websites found in the navigation bar on the left side of this page.
Historical / Cultural / Sociological
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The Danish West Indies - Danish State ArchivesRecords created before 1917, concerning the small Danish colony consisting of three islands, St. Thomas, St. John, and St. Croix that were sold to the U.S.A. in 1917 and are now know as the United States Virgin Islands.
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The National Archives (UK) – Caribbean Histories Revealed [Open Access]Provides brief history of the British Caribbean through government documents, photos, and maps dating as far back as the 17th century. Covers topics including: People’s migrant, social, and cultural history; slavery; region in global context, and perspectives on current social and political climate for the region. Glossary of relevant terms as well as useful reference and external links list.
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Caribbean Cultural StudiesA scholarly website that engages in an informed discussion of cultural studies and the Caribbean. A valuable guide to relevant literature, paintings, sculpture, photos, film and video, and performances. Also houses information and links to Caribbean Studies journals and organizations.
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Small AxeHome to the independent journal of Anglo-Creole content, which is devoted to social, cultural, and political criticism. The website also showcases creative visual work by Caribbean artists working in the region and elsewhere. These pages provide artist profiles and bios, as well as photos and digitized versions of their work. Library has: online edition of Small Axe journal from 1998.
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Latin American Studies Association (LASA)LASA is currently the largest professional association in the world for institutions and individuals engaged in the study of Latin America. Website provides information on the LASA International Congress, special exhibits and important dates, and also links to their publications: Latin American Research Review (scholarly, online access through library from 1965-current) & LASA Forum (open access online from Fall 2006).
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Lindsay Webster Collection of Cuban Posters (part of Wofford College via the JSTOR Community Collections)The Lindsay Webster Collection of Cuban Posters features approximately 350 works created in Cuba from the revolution through the 2000s. Produced by organizations such as OSPAAAL (Organization of Solidarity with the People of Asia, Africa, and Latin America) and Editora Politica, many of the posters focus on Cuba’s efforts to spread messages of the revolution worldwide and to inspire others in the fight against oppression stemming from the legacies of imperialism and colonialism. In this regard, works often focus on other countries besides Cuba, such as the United States, Vietnam, and many other Asian, African, and Latin American countries. In addition, the collection also features posters focused on Cuba specifically, in order to promote Cuban national pride, conservation, production, and culture.
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Digital Library of Trinidad and TobagoThe Digital Library of Trinidad and Tobago is a growing collection of digital resources highlighting the people, places, lifestyle, culture and events of Trinidad and Tobago throughout its history. Its role is to preserve and provide access to the country's heritage material. The collection includes photographs, video, audio recordings, books, pamphlets, newspapers and manuscripts. These information resources cover social, economic, cultural, educational, scientific and historical issues.
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Caribbean StudiesTMU Research Guide
General Interest / Current Events
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Caribbean Studies (Certificate program at Toronto Metropolitan University)This website provides an overview of TMU's G. Raymond Chang School of Continuing Education certificate program in Caribbean studies.
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The Canadian Association for Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CALACS)“Founded in 1969, CALACS aims to facilitate networking and the exchange of information, to foster especially within Canadian universities, colleges, and other centres of higher education, the expansion of information on and interest in Latin America and the Caribbean, and to represent the academic and professional interests of Canadian Latin Americanists” (cf. about page). Links to and information on The Canadian Journal of Latin American and Caribbean Studies (CJLACS): available via library catalogue online from 1998 and in print from 1996 v. 27(42) – current.
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The New College at The University of Toronto, Centre for Caribbean Studies“An interdisciplinary approach to the study of the complexity of issues pertaining to Caribbean history, politics, culture and society, and to Caribbean peoples and their descendants in their second diasporic presences in North America, Europe and elsewhere” (cf. about page).
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Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean (CERLAC), York UniversityCERLAC is a York University-based hub for inter- and multidisciplinary research on Latin America and the Caribbean, their diasporas, and their relations with Canada and the rest of the world. It provides a meeting space for faculty, students, and visitors to discover common interests; supports their projects by facilitating grant administration, partnership formation, and the co-production and sharing of knowledge; and trains new generations of regional scholars.
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Caribbean Studies Association“The Caribbean Studies Association (CSA) is an independent professional organization devoted to the promotion of Caribbean studies from a multidisciplinary, multicultural point of view” (cf. about page). Website provides a link to the newsletter, up-to-date news announcements, and links to relevant networking websites.
Useful Searches
Be specific. If you want to find information related to a topic in a specific geographical entity like Jamaica, use the word Jamaica rather than the more general term Caribbean.
Phrases like "caribbean area" OR "west indies" are quite useful in keyword searching, especially when used with a topical keyword.
Try using truncated searches that use the *[asterisk] wildcard. For example, "west indi*" will find phrases that begin with "west indi" including these phrases: "west indic" "west indians" "west indies."
If searching for ethnic groups, use the local usage such as "indo-caribbean" OR ("east-indians AND caribbean). The term South Asian is not widely used in the Caribbean for residents descended from the indentured servants.