Islanders and Empire: Smuggling and Political Defiance in Hispaniola, 1580-1690

Islanders and Empire explores how smuggling shaped the cultural, economic, and socio-political transformation of Hispaniola from the late sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, focusing on how residents actively negotiated and transformed imperial bureaucracies and institutions for their benefit.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 324 pages
Publication date: 18 November 2021
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Islanders and Empire delves into the intricate tapestry of the cultural, economic, and socio-political metamorphosis of Hispaniola during the late sixteenth to seventeenth centuries, shedding light on the significant role played by smuggling. This captivating book takes a unique approach, centering its attention on the local peoples and communities that shaped this transformative era. By delving into the intricate negotiations and adaptations of the residents of Hispaniola, the book uncovers how they actively reinterpreted and reshaped the meaning and scope of imperial bureaucracies and institutions to their own advantage. Through a clever co-optation of governing and judicial powers, the islanders gained a formidable foothold in the contraband trade that washed up on their shores. By harnessing this trade, they exerted their influence and dominance, altering the course of European inter-imperial struggles in the Caribbean. They strategically limited, redirected, or suppressed the policies of the Spanish crown, effectively seizing control over their destinies and those of their neighboring territories in Hispaniola, other Spanish Caribbean realms, and the expansive Spanish empire within the region. This captivating exploration of Islanders and Empire offers a profound insight into the complex interplay of power, culture, and identity, illuminating the profound impact of smuggling on the historical trajectory of Hispaniola and the broader Spanish Caribbean.

Weight: 502g
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 23 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108702485
Edition number: New ed