The Letter Book of Charles Winstone of Dominica, 1767-1784: A West Indian Planter during the American Revolution

(Hardback)

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Charles Winstones letter book recounts an overlooked period in Caribbean history during the American Revolution.

Owned by the William Clements Library of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, the collection highlights the precarious years between 1777 and 1779, the period during which the French invasion and occupation of Dominica took place. The American Revolution and French presence disrupted the island's economic life. As Dominica's former solicitor and attorney general, Winstone became a central figure to absentee planters and British firms protecting estates and investments. His letters reveal efforts to forge new trading networks through the Dutch West Indies as he worked for British absentees based elsewhere in the Caribbean and Europe. The correspondence also reflects his struggle to establish a West Indian fortune on the backs of enslaved people cultivating coffee and sugar. His letters provide a rare look at the world of a plantation attorney and manager as he oversaw several estates near the colonial capital of Roseau during the most tumultuous years in Dominicas history and reflects on the ineffective and unprepared British response upon the outbreak of the American conflict, particularly noting French military preparations on the nearby islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe.

Author Bio

Mark Quintanilla is Professor of History at Hannibal-LaGrange University, USA.