In this Book
- Hurricanes and Society in the British Greater Caribbean, 1624–1783
- Book
- 2008
- Published by: Johns Hopkins University Press
- Series: Early America: History, Context, Culture
summary
Hurricanes created unique challenges for the colonists in the British Greater Caribbean during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. These storms were entirely new to European settlers and quickly became the most feared part of their physical environment, destroying staple crops and provisions, leveling plantations and towns, disrupting shipping and trade, and resulting in major economic losses for planters and widespread privation for slaves. In this study, Matthew Mulcahy examines how colonists made sense of hurricanes, how they recovered from them, and the role of the storms in shaping the development of the region's colonial settlements. Hurricanes and Society in the British Greater Caribbean, 1624–1783 provides a useful new perspective on several topics including colonial science, the plantation economy, slavery, and public and private charity. By integrating the West Indies into the larger story of British Atlantic colonization, Mulcahy's work contributes to early American history, Atlantic history, environmental history, and the growing field of disaster studies.
Table of Contents
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- Acknowledgments
- pp. vii-xii
- 1 Encountering Hurricanes
- pp. 10-32
- 2 “A Conspiracy of the Winds”
- pp. 33-64
- 3 Weathering the Storms
- pp. 65-93
- 4 Chaotic and Scarce Times
- pp. 94-116
- 5 Building for Disaster
- pp. 117-140
- 6 Sympathy in Distress
- pp. 141-164
- 7 The Politics of Public Relief
- pp. 165-188
- Conclusion: Beyond 1783
- pp. 189-194
- Essay on Sources
- pp. 243-250
Additional Information
ISBN
9780801898976
Related ISBN(s)
9780801882234, 9780801890796
MARC Record
OCLC
607618964
Pages
272
Launched on MUSE
2012-01-01
Language
English
Open Access
No