St. Eustatius--The Nexus for Colonial Caribbean Capitalism
Author(s): R. Grant Gilmore
Year: 2013
Summary
As the nexus for international trade in the Atlantic World during the latter 18th and early 19th centuries, St. Eustatius provided the single largest and most efficient conduit for people, news, correspondence and trade items during this time. The material cultural record in both archaeology and architecture reflect the cosmopolitan society geared toward unfettered capitalism in the first free trading port in modern times. A mix of nationalities, languages and religions found in few places in the colonial Atlantic World significantly benefited the establishment of the United States as an economic and military power during its formative years. This paper will present ongoing research into the sheer scale of this capitalist powerhouse in the colonial world. Evidence suggests that the transfer of capital through the island and gathered by European merchant bankers contributed significantly to the capital available for the Industrial Revolution impacting the development of the fledgling United States.
Cite this Record
St. Eustatius--The Nexus for Colonial Caribbean Capitalism. R. Grant Gilmore. Presented at Society for Historical Archaeology, Leicester, England, U.K. 2013 ( tDAR id: 428511)
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Keywords
General
Atlantic World
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Capitalism
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Founding Fathers
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International Trade
Geographic Keywords
United Kingdom
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Western Europe
Temporal Keywords
1754-1815
Spatial Coverage
min long: -8.158; min lat: 49.955 ; max long: 1.749; max lat: 60.722 ;
Individual & Institutional Roles
Contact(s): Society for Historical Archaeology
Record Identifiers
PaperId(s): 563