Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Colonizing Paradise: Landscape and Empire in the British West Indies
Colonizing Paradise: Landscape and Empire in the British West Indies
Colonizing Paradise: Landscape and Empire in the British West Indies
Ebook405 pages5 hours

Colonizing Paradise: Landscape and Empire in the British West Indies

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

Explores how perceptions and depictions of the physical landscape both reflected and influenced the history of the British colonial Caribbean

In Colonizing Paradise, historian Jefferson Dillman charts the broad spectrum of sentiments that British citizens and travelers held regarding their colonial possessions in the West Indies. Myriad fine degrees of ambivalence separated extreme views of the region as an idyllic archipelago or a nest of Satanic entrapments. Dillman shows the manner in which these authentic or spontaneous depictions of the environment were shaped to form a narrative that undergirded Britain’s economic and political aims in the region.
 
Because British sentiments in the Caribbean located danger and evil not just in indigenous populations but in Spanish Catholics as well, Dillman’s work begins with the arrival of Spanish explorers and conquistadors. Colonizing Paradise spans the arrival of English ships and continues through the early nineteenth century and the colonial era. Dillman shows how colonial entrepreneurs, travelers, and settlers engaged in a disquieted dialogue with the landscape itself, a dialogue the examination of which sheds fresh light on the culture of the Anglophone colonial Caribbean.
 
Of particular note are the numerous mythical, metaphorical, and biblical lenses through which Caribbean landscapes were viewed, from early views of the Caribbean landscape as a New World paradise to later depictions of the landscape as a battleground between the forces of Christ and Satan. The ideal of an Edenic landscape persisted, but largely, Dillman argues, as one that needed to be wrested from the forces of darkness, principally through the work of colonization, planting, cataloguing, and a rational ordering of the environment.
 
Ultimately, although planters and their allies continued to promote pastoral and picturesque views of the Caribbean landscape, the goal of such narratives was to rationalize British rule as well as to mask and obscure emerging West Indian problems such as diseases, slavery, and rebellions. Colonizing Paradise offers much to readers interested in Caribbean, British, and colonial history.
LanguageEnglish
Release dateJun 30, 2015
ISBN9780817388041
Colonizing Paradise: Landscape and Empire in the British West Indies

Related to Colonizing Paradise

Related ebooks

Social Science For You

View More

Related articles

Reviews for Colonizing Paradise

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Colonizing Paradise - Jefferson Dillman

    x1^book_preview_excerpt.html}Ɏ$Wݯj!L2L 9 "'edsƴiCx:WEFZ-/97{d f}w8w_5NCm~}՛7ϊ~g_~;pW/^?)yus7Wōj?Ϫz<_ӛ'Wxgwϊo^|W->{z,>g|ͫ_\ _߿~WūoW^\<ۯc难>ſv}Wacoƭ]׃x*Oq7_ U (O^\RN[]LX(wo2^Ǔif0޵w?U.uc\X *?ӏXoquMSXc׃ ;O>| ō@ԅ ,\y`&\d2V~c}/1g2 G_|Q4!f9|Ey=w~w[l/ ХՄOuYC?xQqź~89P|𸷐VSwd.]<>pDkWv\5ug,,G=e,Qq2*WńM_RHݸ1~,\崊~/.O.٭n]=B/'7x7MuOO߿' .oej'_n"oxo&/''놗{q8_5T_=5>7?O?wzb?㇗{1DU' ~l&PBOL\F߉{EQ|Son;$e}o)Ke._k[uK(~M>֛(l_xmjg]WOxOnݡn 13>{*;6thWCR;jw, +?|!&u-fwi+yE[ލWWUWɲ?s' T;{g~w~>t?Q* wx籜,{n{e`>4(jqH3};oڋg#~x.4:n?Qw Of"VxޡxT\gF!*ڦ's[ZW}J70-%o8ѽX:cw,܆Oh-nOG=~]棃roh)X]OUip0,gF7;02Ǣ7@=8ZFοvH!뮽~Pt7`eԯ  DѺUO\4wH "qݱ6 n_/Jcq1w dv?츞<|pOq%j0՝OڵN@L'TG(?DRR NYvOF!7-DxQ8m%RZwbwuKYµ"4esS r+̳TEͳc5- YZT{})EE"P* q~?}M-jR>;OߺfV{y&~B]dX¢%MIVaO|(_X8oqwn]h1hܷʶY-n,'ϼ%R"N8'\O%fl!qU<:%4+74)b;,0d? bo ^A@( pv)k`"*PVVXqJܕk9tTM;Hˤr2Txȣ).*}AEy;}HSq;$" L"7NO_@zz?)Vro&C±3,=P-Qo,8SzvR傒/!<~"b5XܥcFbPBHÙ,z1j%i3 LhH8]8q\Y*IFzk-fSFjCX b Q 6jK6rC35"H[JRvP 8H^U)[a J+>~pe nhtǾͰ0sQҿAmMI[h#2XWϰh¨#w#ϳw9.#-_RUcQ74܌ZQ^Yb ]:;zBRGwݒ>)jZƙiLrW"XK%$i\Qh2sdAXR:9̊ '~ςű퀜W\d&DXT4 9Ϧ~|˹( ïMѼJ41 ,H&1'\Uf"u?4n&E8JNx#^g3.ĩgs( Mcwb;Uxo~|w+}۹=0=t~oN"I@g c6 X xgq/dX}M' N  *|1>PVTD Nߋ~pv[z>-fH?dP=JaF6jE1ZXF,ԠcSy+{! <1T\)GF MriN(ߡŅT65TØ8^ CE| ΞY (Q;s}i1&@~@Ve@+CX=^) S4y pӇ~ m+կn. XđvԺk(i^o}݌<{.fKMDJֺ-y .]Τ'|<5n+[4 gwA,ә%LH؍ CӮ2sU)0v:GFa'ܠ&:|RZpWeF%t1>i4#$Q5Kxu]YѰ~ )I,Aq|۱¹L!sz(6Ъ)F!`LVZPoqSD!vn?f'B9''˦k3Xh@VjVD(n.6QɼjK 2 .x 6tc`"| 4`F>xzy5Q18%;gyw1:b2ԔxQ?o )>7HAE\_4 ~?^ty 2Hē&4&SMGY {m#84VP4& F^, `cP*bʎ8g$FKw1VRS&|ZZ/?th`邐fNxJ5K1,FTT2un0"*E&x cfU0ܮTK\Z L:ZgeNn,v_z3g9M )P Rߙ1R rk{{ 7Aլy3 BĽ)"@HF9#+~ eƋ<~x=&شM؎j&2xv4Ħ詃\\ ]/TMX|H;w, NYW} 3Mg7Dn hW)gN\ \&2Qk+AJdۮ>xԛ`ux{ A_Xb~}+U)GѐiQ=@i*NE`.ZIc{#*;0*Dң'X1P3* }cY/eaؐZBCǣln*Jj6!8-xԿw/nh¯z[VL`ۂ,Ø2oKTCrVLbU4YG+TD1 mej/h`wfh;smGRdDž)$Dsd0*z'zVw0ZL\QO-ݚqD"e_~􂢸nFT= 1 8m4D'#Ƀx**2~ F3mՕr8S1v> \Ud(Zx-ȴ拄 DN.`IW",=A*5w K0$v?SG(vJAéX,{撜?Fudf7p5Ж;+ 7gp##PNBAmq4M pT 02Θn Mqѽ{ I؀C$LGmOO"?mCBTi(,[ ז,@rtrEͰሀ< Eʡ$aʝķ毘slefT,UK)ևSƘ/"~YJ6DKus!@9R oz͞R2#1-z}՛ ]z:9sYRL^t/bȹ8 Yv9NWcggBXmL6Ö"C.g`풱Q "Hj㐻zWV [cB}z5SX!gi-莖&(ڍ^$6 xIJ# K(H_S7UTO~UkUP#׃̻TijFB=\X= "4gAc J%Qm 6E%DIaR3R'n*ʼnPK]|jARw൳qju}EE]8ck;vNTl8Vu!к\e'fͼ'Z(3 "6>&*dV}[7ZNe I.mqwl'ªu*CW%I2 ITñ X?p i-yf%p\9 ԰u3A!V2R8F?Cg?xwKu ,4JiQG~4]sIC+̖T~c.PEHteQ,˼ shIAŢT`{Ϯ PKom N`ڠ#<oЪzU5֬*[fA5n*M$˕pC/0OC\<\EkOwz-+ M[=kSk8nPPiUK`Kc޸lc1%sݕ= ԳK*' 1ɹ olƊ~#%LP|2'ߨ}J^26S2,uouBYŁs"iy]/Vw*YVR3T\dnj`#hehCrTi5aTVF)d,)빪ִ:=-̖7~叔`3޺/Xfv *-kS̋h)MQT~s]u1 [RiqNփ+ xlQ#WA0wExb4밢L%SrR> քWtCTWZw!\ȲN!A0ƍwT wSa7\aWbI¶ZvVeߧSUJ&bhʈ.2[jKb D޺JeB#'[Ȭ:PDI +[АNUs8Fs z} #ߟR7{sXXrVOxʳNByMF%C4*ԕU3uSk:P1{+̒l!1"ķ"fa:=2>D9)%SbԹ褨yC%$+>+Ao:U 1{6mZ%PZQPrDfK^T]&rVbCuAgGEJ=`bU)sWJzF[VpM: [@HB| V!P΍\(m(%d0X{#MxT9('Xhz7% fU+s(3+{ :Ю(6'+;-7A*jF-jR^XLQr h_=z4-蝆 UB G+9Z\5rQ4U{ $9h&l]6Y+K YCа=}VEbPKc(OCD8/sByՔNF5F%cft,fDq J@Đ ?`S߶}B"`"Ҡ_OLMa.lXd3t $=HU+l*L-qf \%ZO(eFEXv%?DI,`ca^?V34iӆS| [EJ-``݇(Ҽ-*Z>Ц{0o^x[r/PI4S"E=A8c}ciGS%X*e%kE$n)g>l6$-ikوZD5K\B Ѡ?GO22N?'W#BEL*4Bg \{|W[)IPffLHhL7<63:۱U +ʋK,?`M0[ x_rw-[h[kT*3t Azp[؈>V{ `rp;7* ߱K#&wԸ%WRjt,3GDСgTqǖ Z'ߥ135½֠lq ԴU@iP絝$˻׊FcòƚښɁw&{*FdM# VNR*հdOz|w~~.af+_.Kȱ=OUWY)R{^b }Yy3Z<Md\/SCADpf;:. <b]Kl4~2!qvEbB}pkSDخh˂XC (4!ҷg 9Y479*QuI"!$LieҰX*en9ȗiJcdB\m[sod̞JäL|XNrI1 Kؚ(ӯC^g驽q֤kJǘO]Oy'2Ai'͒E'XKx&# TbZ>t//oZsKT1~딟8Y%P _`N+, ml`jV+UTB#ԃX}3$'Poc^Bp]MpojN'[)fX;Y4lQ[R<3kdc˔_Y݃ycEPc~Ka+~UdR/r`\6Ƀ\T`+rJ2rAT"fcCtYQY#aؿe3ڴX!n·n~8i+ܲ5G%rs^'̞Aݭu g(DxEKt2V\{D5 8XMYF(9Cj6xQva( @튙lO9)1ԥ deW@tۿV{\DmC#I81 K GkN{ U)kd%'G$,c>*`9,ҽT(86Nɣg2q ߲Uȧf'|2< )Iu$[mRUqd]&=nŐ!HpUA*GıpsudlIaz#--GQ2 Ti,?2/ǜyZ!K7jK}bcK&&P)[#f2XT~m: :fy+:&Fe$(J$CYp";l hC]Gռ/FD[!^U8'f,G0*G8[d(eڣpjT#hN2@xPjP1CW$T0NCWA}QYh(m0AL¶V; !Z9,,t˧d8ȤZz9+EyK'Kq ʐv'9љCSN3 cBJ[ҬÉ`+86ŧ`Ѫ?=:)c|&9(:k]eƒ"߇X;8;/yagG-vظ7>$]*^(fuI"+KɅ^!AeZq`r979j'bRS() i LN s:,3w1M* ʒMcʤc ׆fkBVHy6 Uo?Z9(psVSaifN]bF:v 'Ö Ui]R%yvwWwHG|nu)Z{pZp,&+=+FQ2 Z9YۯPjR ى_VqJT5DLAD q)G0؊*&9_4cӉ9Xr3J0z tcXCVҐdcZ$.lx7j#Ŝw["DgI%)Lpneƈ2niS$Bԑ4p'ae~̛`ëִT[{ o&/9tETA=ddh\υ:YOi 1[ԭYW{f\?̕vn ~Is-/FNN?E:csH:+G욊x|hz4-O0Z-WE)35WrcVIw|}^j{#."$\v̽菾 37ad% 5c RWB2̂<ʨ&W?Pʫ@)Q)jx+?ۀv_o7#d$9iSnɓ;6WÄZ3rl)丨h/`I.N8Jh՝H- i&ַRQXÌ =0e܅R0LRӬMU| sx7FC;d[oePzR{dC RnvwjZb\69یy'tq,7u<vX(QZuˬүhvr: ț"%l"ya䥱8sfm&6S-z܌]򕍪+GR¯+-ވ"^%py=Є7oJ 1(z`?qCvCP qeA=AB!vVL̼Cro20t&{-t%ŒaM?xN.Vw5YyA\0kUAԂx2b& ;b}Xn8MXk[J@Vc Y9O/wV>'#@ Sw̨_K 6jNZ)aJFY32>K[y Ku'o2qa4TF]-/8؅u|,6M Z]m0=Z ReyXKc{EB!VٗnvSEEwqbѕAb!/d5sUxɿ &(3hCsšwY2"z(}`-#cV5owJ/myb:d*]l1aI(pۘ2NkȬ<^%c\ڢMߺ]n}EbԾ!-㤓NIpVϝO(^? g e1[dNv|&;3KsE%is`MM>ԧ1שccH0?V0.[bHi"gξ/)hz!-}ںNǙuoD_ԵьQ2?G`skv[4:4}Q80?|w?lH-E2~Ciz*)qW"Y _rr]CzPcqmlJ| |BP+To&fI/n$%! xcn^B^/A~c/27:-e[ Wޚ:Npgyq`]tayO vַ5q][EV]APBB]Qq|XHJ%  8os̪}Z*8skmyci
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1