Professional Documents
Culture Documents
objectives
Define the peasantry. Explain the reasons the ex-slaves left the plantations. Discuss the reasons for the peasantry. Examine the obstacles to the development of the peasantry. Discuss the three stages of the peasantry. Examine the economic, political and economic benefits of the peasantry to the Caribbean.
Peasantry
The name given to the group of small farmers who developed after 1838. They farmed very small pieces of land( usually under five acres) and relied mainly on their own labour and that of their families.
The ex-slaves were eager to leave the plantation to get as far away as possible from the place where they endured such hardship, pain and degradation.
Question
Explain why you would persuade Kwame to leave the plantation. How did the ex-slaves acquired land to establish the peasantry.
They rented or leased land from land owners. They received help from church /missionary groups e.g. the Baptists. They received help through the metayage system. They used land left by planter sponsors.
Opportunities for land acquisition did not exist to the same extent in all the territories. In Barbados, St. Kitts, and Antigua- three of the older colonies- small size, a large population and a long established sugar industry left few , if any opportunities for land acquisition. Although the ex-slaves eventually ended up owning lands in these islands a true peasantry never developed.
Period of establishment
This period was characterized by the rapid acquisition of land holdings and a corresponding increase in the number of peasants. So rapid was the increase that by 1842 officials in were reporting daily increases in acreages and numbers.
Jamaica 1838-1861
Year 1838 1841 1845 1861 Number of freeholds 2114 7919 27379 50,000
By 1842, it was estimated that Jamaica had about 200 free villages on 100000 acres for which the ex-slaves had paid 70,000 pounds.
Period of consolidation
The period of consolidation was marked by continued growth, efficiency and strength. The peasants increase in number and strength. Farm size also increased. Export agriculture becomes profitable. Peasants willing to move away from towns. East Indians join the peasantry. Governments begin to change their attitude to the peasants. More land available for farming.
In Jamaica in 1850, exports of rum, ginger coffee, and pimento earned the country approximately 1, 089, 300 pounds of which the peasants contributed 10%. By 1890, the value of cash crops increased to 2,028,300 pounds of which the peasants contributed 39%.
98,851
Many refused to sell land to the ex-slaves. There were laws that: Made squatting illegal Restricted emigration and vagrancy Imposed higher taxes on small acreages , houses, animals and items of mass consumption Required that all non-plantation occupations be licensed.
Limit the number of people who could buy land together. Heavy licenses were imposed on the sale of small quantities of sugar, coffee etc.
Led to the development of informal cooperatives. This led to the development of formal systems such as Friendly and Benefits Societies, Jamaica Agricultural Society and Peoples Cooperative Loan Bank in Jamaica.
Peasants initiated the conversion of these plantation territories into modern societies. Ina a variety of ways they attempted to build local self-generating communities. They founded villages and markets; they built churches and schools ; they clamoured for the extension of educational facilities and the improvement in communications and markets.
The peasants benefitted from their new status as they now had an alternative to full time work on the plantations.