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