The West Indian Federation
description
Transcript of The West Indian Federation
FederationOn the way to Caribbean Integration
The bringing of people of different racial, ethnic or national groups into equal association,
Integration –a definition
The degree of economic integration can be categorized into six stages:
Preferential trading area Free Trade Area Customs Union Common Market Economic & Monetary Union Complete Economic Union
Economic Integration
Weaker forms of international political integration refer to cooperation between states
Stronger forms of integration refer to the constitution of new political entities, e.g. FEDERATIONS
.
Political Integration –a definition
Regional Integration has several meanings and levels. Integration has various forms of political units
(FEDERATION) or economic units (CARIFTA, CARICOM, CSME).
Integration is also the development of institutions
(UWI, the West Indian Cricket Board, Regional Central Bank, Caribbean Court of Justice)
Regional Integration
A “parent” organization formed by the linking of several states, countries ... each retaining the control of much of its own affairs.
Federation -a definition
2008-The fiftieth (50th) anniversary of the establishment of the West Indies Federation
A significant Anniversary
The history of the attempt by the British Government to federate its West Indian colonies date back to the nineteenth century.
19th Century attempts at Federation
The Colonial Office set up regional institutions such as: The Imperial College of Tropical Agriculture (1922) West Indian Court of Appeal Regional Met Office The first West Indian Conference (1926) The Closer Union Commission (1932)
Some West Indian politicians attempted to use the CUC to gain self-government and wider voting rights but they were rejected by the Colonial Office
Early 20th Century efforts at Caribbean Integration-The Colonial Office
During the early twentieth century a number of West Indian leaders and institutions pursued the concept of federation.eg:
W.G.Donovan T.A.Marryshow A.A. Cipriani The West Indian Labour Congress
Early 20th Century efforts at Federation
“The West Indies must be West Indian!”T.A. Marryshow (1887-1958)-a key figure in the history of Grenada and the Caribbean
1903-Apprenticed to W. G. Donovan who published newspapers, advocating representative government and a Federation of Britain's West Indian colonies.
1916-By time of Donavan’s death in, Marryshow published, The West Indian.
The first one (1 January 1915) promised "an immediate and accurate chronicler of current events, an untrammelled advocate of popular rights, unhampered by chains of party prejudice, an unswerving educator of the people in their duties as subjects of the state and citizens of the world" and hopes for "the day when, our islands linked together in an administrative and fiscal union, the West Indian Dominion will take its place, small though that may be, in the glorious Empire."
T A Marryshow
His goals were Federation and the replacement of Crown Colony Government by representative democracy
His slogan was "Educate, Agitate, Federate" He was a staunch advocate of wider black
empowerment.
T.A.Marryshow
A.A.Cipriani and T.A.MarryshowTwo stalwarts of West Indian nationalism
T.A.Marryshow (2nd from left)Lord Hailes (3rd from left)
Lord Hailes was the first and only Governor General of the West Indies Federation
March, 1945, Colonel Oliver Stanley, the Colonial Secretary, formally proposed the idea of federation to the West Indian Governments.
The Colonial Office asked that the West Indians themselves propose what form the federation should take.
1947 -The Montego Bay Conference. Members have differences. Planter element not in favour. Bustamante feels Br abandoning West Indies. Labour elements want federation.
The Montego Bay Conference
SCAC works out details of federation 1949-presents report British Guiana, British Honduras, British Virgin islands did not accept proposals Grantley Adams says it was a glorified Crown Colony Dr Patrick Solomon accepts T.A. Marryshow rejects
Standing Closer Association Committee
1953 and 1956 -Conferences held in London in to write the Federal Constitution
Post SCAC disagreements continue March 25, 1958 -Federal Elections, for a Federal
Parliament The West Indies Federal Labour Party (W.I.F.L.P.)
narrowly defeats the Democratic Labour Party (D.L.P.) W.I.F.L.P. had not done enough to explain Federation to
the people
Federal Constitution and Federal Elections
Grantley Adams
Sir Grantley Adams, from Barbados, became Prime Minister of the West Indies.
22nd April 1958- that the West Indies Federation came into being
HRH Princess Margaret opened the first Parliament of the new nation.
The Federation comprised ten territories : Antigua and Barbuda, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Jamaica, Montserrat, St Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla(as it was then) Saint Lucia, St Vincent and Trinidad & Tobago.
Br. Guiana & Br Honduras do not join .Not happy with freedom of movement.
The West Indies Federation
Emblems of the FederationThe Flag
Emblems of the Federation
Flag of the Governor GeneralCoat of Arms of the Federation
Institutions of the Federation
UCWI-the early days
Manley and BustamanteCousins and Leaders of Jamaica
Norman Manley Alexander Bustamante
There were several disagreements over measures proposed for the operation of the Federation
Taxation Customs Freedom of movement Financing(Jamaica (bauxite), T&T (oil) not prepared
to share burden of financing) Capital Site
Disagreements
As a result of the growing unease in Jamaica, the Government, in 1961, decided to hold a referendum on the future of the Federation.
Manley said that if he lost the referendum he would take Jamaica out of the Federation
The final results: 45.9% for; 54.1% against. Manley, the Jamaican Premier, had to concede defeat.
The Jamaica Referendum
April 1962-The final session of the Federation’s Parliament was held
May 23, 1962 -the West Indies Federation was formally dissolved.
Four years after its inception the “Great Experiment” ended in failure.
The end of the Federation
Mainland colonies (B.G. and Br. Honduras) did not join
Rivalry between Trinidad & Tobago and Jamaica The suspicions and fears of the smaller states Political unity came before economic agreement.
Federation had no powers re:taxation,customs,freedom of movement
Jamaica (bauxite), T&T (oil) not prepared to share burden of financing
Br. Government had control over foreign affairs
Failures of the Federation
The Caribbean population not sufficiently informed regarding the issues.
Failures of the Federation
Quotable quotes
Williams “One from ten leaves nought”
Sparrow “Every body fighting singularly...”
“Devoid of programme and consideration for the people they saw Federation and met among themselves only to arrange what their governments would get and what they would lose. That is always an important part of any political discussion. But if you are discussing nothing else, then the result is always the violent quarrels, in fact the unseemly squabbles for that is what they were, by which these gentlemen broke up the Federation and disgraced the West Indian people”
CLR James :Party Politics in the West Indies
Quotable quotes
Jamaica withdraws. British governement promise Independence
1962, August 6- Jamaica independent 1962,August 31-T&T independent Barbados could go it alone as head of the remaining
units 1966,November- Barbados Independent 1966, Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Grenada, St
Kitts-Nevis-Anguilla(as it was then) Saint Lucia, St Vincent –Associated states to Britain
Independence &Associated Statehood
Wallace, Elizabeth, The breakup of the West Indies Federation-(Caribbean Freedom ed H.Beckles an V Shepherd)
James, C. L. R. Party Politics in the West Indies (pp159-164)
Claypole,W & Robottom,J. Caribbean Story Book 2 (pp 123-147)
References
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Image Credits