History, General

London: Printed for Robt Sayer, 1774. . Source: Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/74696181/

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.

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.

A YouTube tutorial video explains how to use the Slavery, Abolition and Social Justice database with an emphasis on the Caribbean content.

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.

• The Danish West Indies - Danish State Archives
  Records 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.
  Content includes: The Danish Slave Trade: Timeline for Teaching Purposes
  The West-Indies: Sources of History
   
• 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.
   
• The National Archives (UK) - Caribbean Through a Lens - Explored! [Open Access]
  The National Archives has been working with community groups to share and explore our collection of Caribbean images. The National Archives’ collection of Caribbean images are drawn from the Ministry of Information (INF 10) and the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (CO 1069) and span over 100 years of history.

• U.S. Virgin Islands: State Resource Guide, Library of Congress research guide
  The Virgin Islands Division of Libraries, Archives & Museums ha posted some content on the Digital Library of the Caribbean. Examples inlcude funeral booklets, historical photos, newspaper articles, project introspection materials (educational packages for grade school students, covering regional history and customs), research reports and occasional papers.

• Caribbean Cultural Studies. Com
  A 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.

• Small Axe
  Home 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.

• 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).
• 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.

• 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. 
   
• Digital Library of Trinidad and Tobago
• Trinidad Carnival (part of Trinity College, Hartford CT collections via the JSTOR Community Collections) 
  Nearly 400 photographic images of Carnival from around 1998, produced in association with the Trinity in Trinidad Global Learning Site.

• Historical Maps of the Caribbean Basin
  More than 500 historical maps from the State University Libraries of Florida.
   
• TMU Research Guide for Caribbean Studies

• 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.

• CARICOM Caribbean Community
   
• 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.
   
• The New College at The University of Toronto, Caribbean Studies Program
  “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).
   
• York University’s Centre for Research on Latin America and the Caribbean
  " An interdisciplinary research unit concerned with the economic development, political and social organization, and cultural contributions of Latin America and the Caribbean” (cf. about page).
   
• 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.
• CSA Blog
   
• Latin American and Caribbean Studies Collection at the University of Illinois
   
• Share News
  Online news resource aimed at Black and Caribbean community of the Greater Toronto Area. In circulation since 1978. Digital versions of last fifteen months available online.