Caribbean Civilizations

Caribbean civilization flourished long before 1492. With reference to historical records Pre-Columbian civilization survived well in the face of the European perspective. There are several determinants to the fact that both the Pre-Columbian and the inception of European acculturation were responsible for the rich and diverse culture that the Caribbean now enjoys. I strongly believe that one does not judge another culture and call it primitive if it’s that the criterion that this culture will be judged on is solely based on certain biases or ethnocentrism. The Spaniards upon stumbling on the West Indies proclaimed themselves superior to the early settlers which inadvertently tainted the affluence of the Indigenous people and their rich cultural heritage. Throughout this piece we will examine the political, social, economic aspect of the Caribbean civilization without European input and also to examine the input by the Europeans and how it has impacted the diversification of the region.

Civilization before Columbus was validated to be clearly organized and functional. There were no primary accounts of the way the indigenous people viewed the world therefore historians had to rely on the precise interpretations of artifacts aided by the technique of Radio Carbon Dating. It could not be validating however that the Pre-Columbian period was primitive without European influence because of the following reasons;

The Indigenous people had reputable communities with adequate and sanitary water supplies and abundant productive land for agricultural subsistence. It is quite evident that they have survived many generations and more to come if it was not for the opportunistic nature of the Europeans. There was also evidence of trading among the neo-Indian people. They were excellent sailor and navigators who ventured as far as North and South America to trade in goods in huge dug out canoes. Notwithstanding it was also apparent that the Europeans were more advanced in the way how they developed their society with a more complexity and organization. Their technologies when compared to those of the Neo-Indians were far more effective and had more longevity.   The Neo-Indians had tools made from flint, bone and stone and by the time Columbus rediscovered the region Europe were already developing steel and metal works and had even guns and canons.

In the light of Social life Indigenous societies were actually dived into different strata. It was evident that it was highly a patriarchal society that even had separations of classes. Additionally social life involved marriages, sporting and festive activities and personal development.

Taking into account the holocaust of the Indigenous population due to the subjective pressures of the encomienda, diseases, hunted as a sport, maliciously murdered and miscegenation. The opportunity of the indigenous population to further advance their civilization was taken away from them due to the opportunistic behaviors of the Europeans.

The inputs of the Europeans were not all negative in the advancement of the civillisation of the Caribbean region. We must bear in mind the development of the regions architecture, in beautiful Georgian style structures in the forms of churches, schools, residential houses and other public buildings. Also the development of agriculture was distinguished to European colonisation. The history of Caribbean agricultural dependency is closely linked with European colonialism which altered the financial potential of the region by introducing slaver and the plantation system. Much like the Spanish enslaved indigenous Indians to work in gold mines, the seventeenth brought a new series of oppressors in the form of the Dutch, the English, and the French. By the middle of the eighteenth century sugar was Britain’s largest import which made the Caribbean that much more important as a colony. 

This investment was not all positive to the region as most of the profits were repatriated to the motherlands to help in their industrialisation process.

In conclusion Caribbean civillisation in the pre-Columbian era was not primitive but the ethnocentric beliefs of the European made sure their ethnocentric beliefs prevailed. The civillisation of the Caribbean would have survived greatly and would have been developed only if they were given the chance. The Europeans in their conquest for greatness and territorial acquisition ensured this did I not happen.

 However the impact was not all negative as the European brought diversification in terms of architecture, religion, the forceful movement of people fro all over the world and culture. This input by the Europeans was essential in our diversification as a region however their influences were not pills for primitive sickness.