Saturday, June 03, 2006

Indo-Caribbean History: They Came from Afar

Between 1838 and 1917 more than half a million East Indians were indentured or re-indentured in the British, French, Danish, and Dutch Colonies in the West Indies, South America, and Central America. Many of the Indians were transported on sailing ships while others were transported on "newer" steamships. The main route for theses ships after they left the East Coast of India was due south past Madagasgar areound the Cape of Good Hope then northwest toward the Caribbean, via St. Helena. Others were later brought through the Suez Canal through the Mediterranean Sea then southwest through the Caribbean.The East Indians were mainly brought to work on the sugar cane plantations after the emancipation of the African slaves. In some colonies, poor whites, Chinese, Javanese, Nepalese, and Afghani's were also indentured. The Indians soon found themselves farming other types of crops, working in homes, or even in the gold mines of South America. The number of deaths during indentureshp was very high; especially among those that were indentured by the French. Hundreds died during the voyages from disease and shipwrecks.After Indentureship or re-indentureship contacts have opted to stay in the Caribbean Basin, often those from the smaller islands moved to the British Colonies with larger populations. Free East Indians later migrated to these same colonies.

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