Book Review.. Law and Society

Sla genuinely, Law and night club in the British d admitwind Islands 1763-1823 September 29, 2011 lector Dawn M. McNeil Reviewed by Natasha Stewart DR BERNARD MARSHALL (2007) SLAVER, virtue AND SOCIETY Published by Arawak Publications ISBN 976 8189 81 9 (hbk) ISBN 976 8189 27 4 (pbk) angiotensin converting enzyme of the intimately important personal line of credits that ar take for matriculation into honor school is impartiality and smart set. This is due to the fact that this sort coers interaction between Law and confederacy from a historical, sparingal, political, sociological perspective of Caribbean societies, from pristine to transitional and also modern societies.It incorpo counts disregards of integrity enforcement as s head as ongoing rise-disposed and technological neuters that influence party. It is premised on the fact that law has a detailed authorization in all forms of complaisant conduct. though non the exact haggling of lecture McNeil, t hey were enough to second me to see to it the importance of this course. Therefore upon her instructions to confine suss verboten the sustain hard workerry Law and Society, I was most enthused, as I intended to read with an objective that would lead me to understand overmuch to the highest degree the laws of thraldom and their impacts, the composition of conjunction and to compare it with the decree we have today.As I fantasy that this would allow me to be understanding of this course of nurture. My attention was also naturally drawn to the author Bernard marshall, as I look at he did a great affair in compiling this case subject. stock- all the same, I feel privilege to know that my review o this book pass on eventually make it better, eyepatch giving me intimacy of a society that I as luck would have it escaped.The book break sensations backry law and society is a comparative study, which looks at the political, economical, efficacious and affection ate life of a mass black population, a minority dust coat population and a relatively astronomic amount of free colored in St Vincent, Tobago, Dominica, Grenada and the Grenadines between the age 1763 to 1823. This distributor point label a relevant and vital succession in the write up of the Caribbean and the importance of these upwind Islands to cut and British saving. These two European nations s in additiond in constant conflict over wealth and ownership of these islands.Thus grammatical construction our understanding of how Caribbean history in these islands was developed. Bernard marshall assessed the traffichip between variant groups in society, with special attention placed on the en slaved population who were in constant enemy of thraldom, especially the maroons. by means of come out the sixty long time of slavery, many writers have analyzed the character of slavery in some of the more than popular Caribbean islands, even so it must be noted that this book is the first to help with understanding the temperament of the slave arrangement in these four important communities.At a time when slavery and woodlet ownership was very important to the economic success of the plantation owner class, the nature of the slave society was examined and critiqued in this study. Special furiousness was placed the political, social, religious, economic and pro plant organizations of these islands. Nonetheless there was decline which brought into question, the importance of a seemingly redundant enslaved population. Bernard however, presents a vulgar historical reality, which was seen in the most painful activities meted out to mankind, which is the trans-Atlantic slave happenle.During that degree the psychiatric hospital of utilitys plantations required purchasing of land, plantation buildings, equipment and upkeep of ones own labour force which translated into large expenditures for causa a scar estate in St Vincent that contained 442 acres was 74,035 pounds. Funds were secured to purchase much(prenominal)(prenominal) an estate from the mercantile houses in the metropolis. When the economy declined and prices give for crops were reduced, many planters defaulted on their loans and went bankrupt.This period saw many such declines and firing for planters, whether for economic reasons or as a direct result of the many revolts that were guardedly planned and exe abbreviateed by the slaves quest freedom and social status. To date the Caribbean is very familiar to almost anyone, due to the contributions of historians, sociologists, lecturers and legal scholars. Nonetheless, only this writer has sought to disclose a comparative analysis of these communities as they are generally ignored in most readings of Caribbean history, though same were the experiences of these islands in the era of slavery.The role of law was carefully examined and most importantly, its relationship with economic, political and socia l life of persons in these communities. marshalls study provides adequate insight into the society of slavery in an ignored demesne of the Caribbean history. It must be noted that tour the whips and the some early(a) physical brutal methods of authorisation were deemed effectual to control the slave population. A critique of religion was also transparent as it was used as an effective form of social control which make the slaves subservient to their masters.The book is mostly viewed from a Marxist perspective therefore the function of law was an inst amusingent of the regnant class. This authority created an exploited Caribbean society by colonial rule whose authority was justified by the existing political and judicial precedents created by them and used to keep the less favored Africans and free coloured in check. marshall showed how the law worked in favour of the govern class, those who owned the means of production. This view of Marshals analysis can be compared t o present day societies, where preference is addicted to the big man.Law is a coercive secernate.. the norms which form a legal order must be norms stipulating a coercive act, e. g. a incite, the offensive applied to the violator of the order when sanction is socially organized, consists in a passing of possessions- life, health, freedom or property. As the possessions are taken from him against his will, this sanction has the character of the billhook of irresistible impulse a social order that seeks to bring about the desired behavior of individuals by the enactment of such measures of coercion is called a coercive order. The laws of the islands recognized the owners right to his property in the slave, and protected right from violation by new(prenominal)s. Therefore various acts were passed to govern the every movement of slaves. (Slave laws of 1768) In an attempt by the minority light to ensure social stability, laws were designed to push actions such as rebellions, ro bbery, running away, arson etc, the actions were severely punished, in fact, dealt was the ultimate.The responsibility of penalisation was given to the police, who ensured that laws were upheld. The law was therefore seen as a tool of social control that worked in the fire of the minority white population. It was used to dehumanise the African population in a most barbaric and un deemable way. The ruling class fashioned its own cross off of social engineering to support a system of racial inequality and exploitation. In the period between 1763-1773, Great Britain acquired what was closely known as the British upwind islands.An economy which was initially based on the production and slew of hot chocolate, coffee, spice and baccy was now changed into one based on sugar production. This lead to the immediate migration of white owners who could not compete with the emerging sugar industry and influx of slaves. this lead to a cultural change of the society into that of which wa s come to around the sugar industry, slavery and a dominating planter class. The history of slavery in the British Windward islands indisobly and extricably linked to the expansion of the sugar industry.Ever since 1773, sugar had gained a position of first rate importance in the plantation economy. A position which it maintained throughout the period of this study, to almost the total neglect of former(a) kinds of economic activities. For instance, in St. Vincent afterwards 1773, tobacco cultivation was carried out by the drear Caribs only, and following their expulsion in 1797 it was most likely to be abandoned. Report from the island in 1788 also revealed that the culture of coffee and cocoa was being neglected by planters.This aspect of history saw decline in the economy of these islands due to revolts by slaves and other economic reasons such as cut off of trade with America, knowing that this trade with America was vital to the survival of plantation economy. In Grenada and St. Vincent, production level fell, while prices also declined presenting famine in these islands. cut rule played a material role in the losses suffered by these islands. Nonetheless, the treaty of Versailles gave back to Britain these islands.British were well gratifyed in the American rum and liquor, which were relatively cheap and affordable, thus inviting the interest of the British to trade for a profit in their market. The economy suffered extreme make of war, of which the planter class was seemingly unaware. Through marshalls theses, revelation was do of economic politics which resulted in revolts of the whites, mullatos and slaves. Slave rebellion in Tobago between the years 1770 and 1773 saw 80 whites killed. These revolts were influenced by other revolutionary wars, such as french Revolution, American Revolution and enlightenment thinkers. still and submissive behaviors were estimation to the slaves by Christian missionaries. In a report submitted to the outhouse Council in 1788 it was asserted that if they (the slaves) receive punishment for misdemeanors, though they might seem too severe, the brethren have no business to deputise this policy was perused by the Moravian Brethren in Tobago. In addition, they pr a eyepatched the virtues of obedience, submission and diligence to their converts and by doing so they made a fairly authoritative contribution to the maintenance and stability of the slave society.The brethren had no choice than to adapt to these policies of the planters, since their concentrate on should be on conversion of the ethnic to Christianity. Failure to comply would result in them being forced to leave the islands. When in 1799 Brother Schirmers went to say the tolerate word to a slave who was about to be executed, this was what he said though God is merciful and gracious and forgives repenting sinners, insofar he also executes his vengeance against those who dominate in sin and commit loathsomeness with greediness and has authorized the powers he had set up in the world, to do the same. Even after the abolition of slave trade in 1807 the lives of slaves still had no value to the planter class. The inferiority of Negro slavery was still polished in their minds, and this harsh trend has been brought down into our societies today. The thought that slave trade was abolished and slaves could now buy their freedom was a most welcomed notion by the slaves, however this was a mere dream in reality, as the price to purchase such freedom was unattainable. In St.Vincent, one slave out of every 630 gained his freedom each year in Grenada, one out of every 408 in Dominica 1 out of every 90 and in Tobago one out of every 832. The slave society in the new world and brazil remained fairly closed. Slave societies in the Windward Islands and other islands of the brisk world such as Brazil are kind of similar, regardless of a few supersticial differences. Nonetheless, marshalls contribution to slavery in these islands is commendable a great deal of achievement, however, many generations to come, will encounter different articles on slavery.Perceptions of slavery might change in future references. However the sue and nature of slavery will be the theme for many great writers, who will borrow from Marshalls study of these Windward Island. A criticism of Marshalls theory links it to a cohesive society with shared norms and value and similar goals and objectives. Nonetheless, this text was a well researched on, based on various references provided from other writers to substantiate information given. The relevance of this study to my course of study was what gave me the drive to wait reading Marshalls ork. It was quite informative on the other hand it could have been far more concise, as there was too much repetition of points that were made clear in earlier chapters. The dates though very important, were overused and at some points they were not significant, and caused me to lose f ocus on many occasions. A book of this nature which caters to a wide range of intellectuals, specifically university students should have been vetted thoroughly to avoid spell errors and incorrect grammar.I also found that paragraphs were exhausted and one point each overlapped into another or it was too long. Marshalls study of these islands was somewhat limited as it could have incorporated more impacts of the outside world on these plantations, such as the rise to industrialism and enlightenment, impact of French revolution, slave actions in other Caribbean territories, whole kit of humanitarians etc. all the aspects of slavery squeeze the windward islands, but Marshall paid little attention to them.I think however that had he made relations to more similarities between these islands and other well written about Caribbean territories history of slavery, accordingly he would attracted more authors of this school of thought to add the history of the windward islands into their publications of Caribbean history and slavery. Though I am appreciative of the fact that this study gave me all-inclusive knowledge of Caribbean history, which I very much appreciate, I think that this source was not one of the more captivating piece of Caribbean history that I have read, and if not for a specific purpose I would not be enthused to read it again.Though a local case study, the book is nevertheless an important contribution to the history of slavery in the Caribbean and in the New World in general. &8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212&8212 1 . Hans keelson, general theory of law and state 2 . House of commons Accounts and papers, volume xxvi,1789 3 . Periodical accounts, volume ii cite from brother Schirmers diary.