The Guyana Story: From Earliest Times to Independence

Odeen Ishmael

Xlibris Corporation, Feb 28, 2013 - History - 690 pages

The Guyana StoryFrom Earliest Times to Independence traces the countrys history from thousands of years ago when the first Amerindian groups began to settle on the Guyana territory. It examines the period of early European exploration leading to Dutch colonization, the forcible introduction of African slaves to work on cotton and sugar plantations, the effects of European wars, and the final ceding of the territory to the British who ruled it as their colony until they finally granted it independence in 1966. The book also tells of Indian, Chinese, and Portuguese indentured immigration and shows how the cultural interrelationships among the various ethnic groups introduced newer forms of conflict, but also brought about cooperation in the struggles of the workers for better working and living conditions. The final part describes the roles of the political leaders who arose from among these ethnic groups from the late 1940s and began the political struggle against colonialism and the demand for independence. This struggle led to political turbulence in the 1950s and early 1960s when the country was caught in the crosshairs of the cold war resulting in joint British-American devious actions that undermined a democratically elected pro-socialist government and deliberately delayed independence for the country until a government friendly to their international interests came to power.

Contents

• PART ONE: 15
• The Early Amerindian Settlements: 17
• The Later Amerindian Settlements: 20
• Main Amerindian Groups up to the Nineteenth Century: 24
• The Fate of Other Amerindian Groups: 29
• PART TWO: 33
• The Arrival of Europeans in the Guyana Region: 35
• Raleighs First Expedition to Guyana: 39
• Raleighs Second Expedition to Guyana: 42
• Early Dutch Exploration: 45
• Early Dutch settlements: 47
• The Dutch West India Company: 51
• Treaty of Munster: 53
• The Beginning of the Colony of Berbice: 56
• A New Charter for Berbice: 59
• Extent of Dutch Settlement: 61
• Invasions of Guyana 16651712: 64
• The BerbiceSuriname Boundary: 66
• Dutch Progress: 69
• The Arrival of Laurens Storm van Gravesande: 72
• Dutch Progress in Mazaruni and Cuyuni: 75
• Plans by Spain and Portugal against the Dutch: 78
• Spanish Raids on Dutch Territory 17581768: 81
• Further Problems with the Spaniards: 83
• Religion among the Dutch in Guyana: 86
• Establishment of Demerara: 90
• The Slave Trade: 92
• Slavery on the Plantation: 96
• The Work on the Plantation: 100
• Religion of the Slaves: 103
• Dutch Control of Essequibo: 105
• The Outbreak of the Berbice Slave Rebellion: 107
• The Collapse of the Rebellion: 111
• Spanish Ideas of a Frontier: 116
• Guyana under the British French and Dutch 17811783: 118
• From Dutch to British Hands 17831803: 120
• Berbice at the End of the Eighteenth Century: 123
• Growth of Georgetown: 125
• PART THREE: 127
• The Beginning of British Guiana: 129
• Control of Essequibo after 1750: 132
• Early British Administrative Reforms: 134
• Amerindian Loyalty to the British: 136
• The Antislavery Movement in Guyana: 139
• Rumors of Freedom: 142
• The Demerara Slave Uprising: 144
• The End of Slavery: 151
• Damon and the Essequibo Rebellion: 155
• The Apprenticeship Period: 159
• The Arrival of the Portuguese: 163
• Consequences of the Labor Shortage: 167
• West Indian and African Migration to Guyana: 170
• The Arrival of the East Indians: 172
• New Indian Immigration After 1845: 176
• The Origin of the GuyanaVenezuela Border Dispute: 178
• The GuyanaSuriname Border 18311899: 182
• The Village Movement: 184
• The Arrival of the Chinese: 188
• The Chinese on the Plantations: 191
• The Work of O Tye Kim: 194
• The Angel Gabriel Riots of 1856: 196
• The Growth of Education before 1840: 198
• Expansion of Public Education 18441876: 201
• The Development of the Creolese Language: 204
• Hardships Faced by the Indians: 206
• The Des Voeux Letter: 210
• Riot at Devonshire Castle: 212
• Indian Settlements: 215
• The Cent Bread Riots: 217
• Development of Local Government: 219
• Resistance to Taxation at Friendship: 223
• Building the Sea Defense and Drainage System: 225
• Central Government: 228
• The Surveys of Brown and Sawkins: 231
• Further Claims by Venezuela to Essequibo 18761890: 234
• Establishment of Road and Railway Transport: 238
• Establishment of a Money System: 245
• The Start of the Gold Industry: 249
• Growth of Georgetown: 253
• Early Administration of New Amsterdam: 260
• The Beginning of the Rice Industry: 262
• The Immigration Ordinance of 1891: 264
• Political Changes 18911917: 269
• More Indian Settlements: 272
• Early Education of Indians: 276
• Efforts of Christian Churches to Convert Indians: 278
• American Intervention in the GuyanaVenezuela Border Dispute: 280
• Arbitration Treaty between Britain and Venezuela: 284
• The Arbitral Award: 289
• Marking the GuyanaVenezuela Boundary: 292
• The GuyanaSuriname Boundary 19001926: 296
• PART FOUR: 299
• Disturbances at Plantation Friends: 301
• Sugar Workers Strikes in 1905: 304
• The 1905 Riots: 306
• Labor Unrest 19061910: 309
• The Lusignan Riot in 1912: 311
• The Rose Hall Disturbances in 1913: 313
• Workers Protests in 1917: 316
• The Early Years: 318
• Critchlow in the Workers Struggle: 320
• Gandhi and the Immigration Proposals: 324
• Continuing Efforts to Revive Indian Immigration: 327
• The Ruimveldt Shooting in 1924: 330
• The Start of the Bauxite Industry: 333
• The Boundaries with Brazil and Suriname: 337
• The Draft Treaty: 344
• The Maritime Boundary with Suriname: 347
• The New Constitution of 1928: 350
• The Establishment of the MPCA: 353
• The Leonora Disturbances: 355
• The Moyne Commission: 358
• The Early Years of Aviation: 360
• Guyana during the Second World War: 363
• The Bookers Empire: 367
• Dr Giglioli and the Fight against Malaria: 369
• Constitutional Changes 19411947: 374
• PART FIVE: 377
• Cheddi Jagans Entry into Politics: 379
• The Political Affairs Committee: 383
• The PAC and the 1947 Elections: 387
• The Formation of the GIWU: 391
• The Enmore Martyrs: 393
• The Venn Commission: 398
• Some Events of 19471949: 401
• The Establishment of the PPP: 406
• The Appointment of the Waddington Commission: 410
• The Report of the Waddington Commission: 413
• The PPP in 19511952: 416
• The Undesirable Publications Ordinance: 419
• The Election Campaign in 1953: 422
• The General Election of 1953: 426
• The PPP Government of 1953: 430
• The Overthrow of the PPP Government in 1953: 435
• The British Case for Suspending the Constitution: 440
• The PPP Rebuttal of the British Accusations: 443
• American Involvement in Guyana in 1953: 447
• Visit by Jagan and Burnham to Britain and India 1953: 451
• Establishment of the Interim Government: 456
• The Split in the TUC: 460
• The Robertson Commission: 462
• Repression against the PPP 19531955: 465
• The Split in the PPP: 470
• The Aftermath of the Split: 474
• The AllParty Conferences: 477
• Failure of the Interim Government: 481
• The Ultraleftist Split in 1956: 485
• The Shooting at Skeldon 1957: 487
• PART SIX: 489
• The 1957 General Elections: 491
• The Program of the New PPP Government: 495
• The Organization of the PNC: 498
• The Constitutional Committee 1958: 500
• Establishment of the United Force: 503
• Economic and Social Issues 195861: 506
• Political Developments in 195960: 509
• The Constitutional Conference 1960: 512
• The Elections in 1961: 515
• Brewing AntiPPP Challenges in 1961: 521
• The JaganKennedy Meeting: 525
• The 1962 Budget: 529
• Street Protests by the Opposition: 533
• The Disturbances: 537
• The WynnParry Commission: 542
• The Constitutional Conference in 1962: 546
• Attempts to Reach a Political Solution in 1963: 551
• The 80Day Strike: 555
• Antigovernment Violence in 1963: 560
• The Constitutional Conference in 1963: 567
• Protests against the Sandys Formula: 575
• Economic and Social Development in 1963: 579
• Establishment of the University of Guyana: 582
• Renewal of Venezuelan Claim to Essequibo: 586
• The Outbreak of Racial Disturbances in 1964: 591
• The Escalation of the Racial Disturbances: 594
• Mediation by Ghana and Trinidad in 1964: 600
• Jagans Coalition Proposals: 603
• Betrayal by the British Labor Party Government: 607
• The 1964 Election Campaign: 610
• The December 1964 Elections: 615
• The PNCUF Coalition Government in Control: 619
• The ICJ Mission: 624
• Emergency Rule in 1965: 628
• The Independence Conference: 633
• GovernmentPPP Discussions on the Border Issue: 636
• The Geneva Agreement: 639
• Independence Granted to Guyana: 643
• Colonial Administrators of Guyana: 651
• General References: 657
• The Author: 667
• Index: 669

About the author

Dr. Odeen Ishmael, a veteran Guyanese diplomat and widely published author, is currently Guyana’s ambassador to Kuwait and Qatar. He previously served as ambassador to Venezuela (2003–2011) and to the United States of America and the Organization of American States (1993–2003). He has written extensively on Guyanese history, education, and culture and is internationally recognized as a premier analyst and commentator on the political integration movement in South America. In 1997, his country decorated him with the Cacique Crown of Honor for his diplomatic work, and in 2002 in the United States, he was honored with the Martin Luther King Legacy Award for international service.

Bibliographic information

• Title: The Guyana Story: From Earliest Times to Independence
• Author: Odeen Ishmael
• Publisher: Xlibris Corporation, 2013
• ISBN: 1479795909, 9781479795901
• Length: 690 pages
• Subjects: History / General