Maritime Masters and Seafaring Slaves in Bermuda, 1680-1783

Jarvis, Michael

doi:10.2307/3491466

Cited by 73 publications

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“…This practice also existed in the rest of the Caribbean (Hall 1985;Jarvis 2002). Michael Jarvis (2002) states that the enslaved on the island of Bermuda were well aware of the fact that their owners depended on them and they were able to negotiate and obtain various social and economic benefits. For example, they received from their owners a portion of their wages earned at sea to buy clothes.…”

Section: Afro-curaçaoan Seafarersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Learning to be a Man”: Afro-Caribbean Seamen and Maritime Workers from Curaçao in the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Allen¹

2011

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In studying the history of seafaring in Curaçao much attention has tended to be placed on macroeconomic maritime and military aspects. In the past, when nearly all trade in food and other commodities occurred by ship, the Caribbean Sea played a pivotal role in the social life of many Curaçaoans, both the elite and the working class. Work at sea was an important basis for the livelihood and social mobility of especially the black working class. In this article I discuss the role and experiences of Afro-Curaçaoan seamen who sailed the seas between Curaçao and other places. This study argues for incorporating the perspectives of in particular lower-class experiences into the maritime historiography of Curaçao. The article focuses on but is not limited to New York (USA) as one of the destinations of Afro-Curaçaoan seafarers. It draws on a database of arrivals at Ellis Island in New York harbor, archival documents, as well as oral history data through which the voices of these men are heard. The study presents some findings and thoughts regarding seafaring in the Dutch Caribbean and raises questions for further research. In this way it hopes to contribute to filling the gap of information regarding this part of the Afro/Dutch/ Caribbean world.Al estudiar la historia de la navegación en Curazao se ha prestado mucha atención a los aspectos macroeconómicos y militares. En el pasado, cuando casi todo el comercio de alimentos y otras mercancías se transportaban por vía marítima, el Mar Caribe desempeñó un papel fundamental en la vida social de muchos curazoleños, tanto la elite como la clase obrera. El trabajo en el mar fue una base importante para la subsistencia y la movilidad de la clase obrera negra. En este artículo se discute el papel y las experiencias de los marineros afro-curazoleños que surcaban los mares entre Curazao y otros lugares. El artículo se centra en, pero no se limita a Nueva York (EE.UU.) como uno de los rose mary alleN destinos de los afro-curazoleños. Se fundamenta en una base de datos de las llegadas a Ellis Island en la bahía de Nueva York, documentos de archivo, así como los datos de historia oral a través de los cuales las voces de estos hombres son escuchadas. El estudio presenta algunas conclusiones y reflexiones con respecto a la navegación en el Caribe holandés y plantea preguntas para futuras investigaciones. De esta manera se espera contribuir a llenar el vacío de información sobre esta parte del mundo afro/holandés/caribeño. Palabras clave: Curazao, industria marítima, historia social, clase obrera negra, medios de vida, movilidad social résumé L'histoire de la navigation de Curaçao accorde une attention particulière aux questions macroéconomiques et militaires. Jadis, quand presque tous les échanges de denrées alimentaires et d'autres articles se faisaient par voie maritime, la mer des Caraïbes a joué un rôle central dans la vie sociale de la population de Curaçao, y compris l'élite et la classe ouvrière. Le travail en mer constituait une base importante particulièrement pour la subsista...

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Section: Afro-curaçaoan Seafarersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“Learning to be a Man”: Afro-Caribbean Seamen and Maritime Workers from Curaçao in the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Allen¹

2011

crb

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“…Nevertheless, in the age when people, information, and trade moved ''only as fast as the wind and waves allowed,'' (Jarvis 2002:587), Bermuda lay at the crossroads of the new Atlantic world. Indeed, historians note that one out of every ten sailing vessels traveling between the Caribbean and Europe passed within 50 miles of the islands (Jarvis, 2002(Jarvis, , 2010.…”

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confidence: 98%

“…By 1625, most of the island was under cultivation. The presence of an official militia to guard the coast, a ring of forts, nine mostly Puritan parishes, an elected assembly to pass laws, private land ownership, and an exportable commodity (tobacco) all attest to an active and highly functional New World Atlantic stronghold early in England's colonial endeavors (Rothwell, 1989;Jarvis, 2002Jarvis, , 2010.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic ancestry and indigenous heritage in a Native American Descendant Community in Bermuda

Gaieski

Owings

Vilar

et al. 2011

American J Phys Anthropol

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Discovered in the early 16th century by European colonists, Bermuda is an isolated set of islands located in the mid-Atlantic. Shortly after its discovery, Bermuda became the first English colony to forcibly import its labor by trafficking in enslaved Africans, white ethnic minorities, and indigenous Americans. Oral traditions circulating today among contemporary tribes from the northeastern United States recount these same events, while, in Bermuda, St. David's Islanders consider their histories to be linked to a complex Native American, European, and African past. To investigate the influence of historical events on biological ancestry and native cultural identity, we analyzed genetic variation in 111 members of Bermuda's self-proclaimed St. David's Island Native Community. Our results reveal that the majority of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and Y-chromosome haplotypes are of African and West Eurasian origin. However, unlike other English-speaking New World colonies, most African mtDNA haplotypes appear to derive from central and southeast Africa, reflecting the extent of maritime activities in the region. In light of genealogical and oral historical data from the St. David's community, the low frequency of Native American mtDNA and NRY lineages may reflect the influence of genetic drift, the demographic impact of European colonization, and historical admixture with persons of non-native backgrounds, which began with the settlement of the islands. By comparing the genetic data with genealogical and historical information, we are able to reconstruct the complex history of this Bermudian community, which is unique among New World populations.

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“…A 1743 census of North American ships at Kingston disclosed 41 black seamen among the ships' 135 mariners. 7 The combination of a lack of work for some slaves, the benefit of not having to pay a white seaman wages, and the promise of substantial prize monies led some masters to risk the loss of their bondsmen, whether by enemy cannon or slave flight. Black mariners were particularly numerous on privateers.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Eighteenth Century ‘Prize Negroes’: From Britain to America

Foy

2010

Slavery & Abolition

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Maritime Masters and Seafaring Slaves in Bermuda, 1680-1783

Cited by 73 publications

References 0 publications

“Learning to be a Man”: Afro-Caribbean Seamen and Maritime Workers from Curaçao in the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

“Learning to be a Man”: Afro-Caribbean Seamen and Maritime Workers from Curaçao in the Beginning of the Twentieth Century

Genetic ancestry and indigenous heritage in a Native American Descendant Community in Bermuda

Eighteenth Century ‘Prize Negroes’: From Britain to America

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