Publisher's Synopsis
"The Windward Islands form part of the Lesser Antilles which stretch from Puerto Rico to the fringes of Venezuela. Since the seventeenth century these islands attracted immigrants from Europe, initially from Spain but soon also from the British Isles, France, the Netherlands, and Scandinavia. The Windward Islands comprise of Guadaloupe, Martinique, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, the Grenadines, Carriacou, Dominica, and Grenada. This volume also covers Curacao, Trinidad and Tobago, which lie close to the coast of Venezuela. Though many of the early settlers arrived as economic migrants there were many that were transported as prisoners of war or escaping from persecution such as the Jews and the Huguenots. The contemporary economy and society of the West Indies was very much dependent on slaves brought from Africa. In due course some of the descendants of both ethnic groups chose to move to North America or to Europe. This book is based on rese