Mrs. N Thomas Module 1 #2 e.

iv Economic Enfranchisement

Economic enfranchisement came with the movement of the ex-enslaved off the
estates. Economic enfranchisement refers to the expansion of the economy from
a plantation system to a diversified economy i.e. a movement away from the
dependency on sugar. When slaves moved off the estates at emancipation they
became independent proprietors establishing free villages in Guyana, Trinidad
and Jamaica where, as the larger territories, more land was available for the
freedmen to farm and live on.

They produced a wide variety of crops firstly at the subsistent level (by which
had already been supplementing their diets during enslavement as well as
earning them coinage from sales in Sunday market). They then traded at the
national and regional level as exports expanded between Antigua and Barbados.
These exports were mainly ground provisions, spices and bananas. The peasants
were also involved in fishing, livestock and charcoal production.

 Grenada - spices like anise and nutmeg – Spice Isle

 Dominica – citrus like limes
 Guyana - rice brought by the East Indians which was sold to the
Caribbean during WW11
 Jamaica – bananas
 St. Lucia - bananas
They both supplied the US United Fruit Company which
saw the replacement of European investment with US
investments in some territories. The presence of this US
firm and US capital continued the dependency of the
region on extraneous sources of money as capital. It
was therefore simply replacing European sources, one
metropole for a new other. This dependency still
somewhat exists.

Some saving facilities such as the Peoples’ Cooperatives in Jamaica emerged to

serve the peasant class and some Post Offices allowed them to save, as well as
Friendly Societies in St. Lucia offered welfare and savings for peasants and
banana growers.