|
The West Indies Federation was a short-lived, now defunct Caribbean country that existed from January 3, 1958 to May 31, 1962.
It was a self-governing, federal state made up of ten provinces (in the British West Indies), all former British colonial possessions. The nation was created by Britain in 1958 as a way of simultaneously satisfying the demands for independence of all colonies in the region.
The provinces of the West Indies Federation were:
The capital city was supposed to be in an area called Chaguaramas, a few miles west of Port-of-Spain, which is located in present day Trinidad and Tobago. The combined population of the West Indies Federation was between 6-7 million citizens, of the total British West Indies.
The West Indies Federation maintained a particularly close relationship with the nation of Canada, which had a similar past of being a part of the British Empire and becoming a Confederation. In the early years serveral Caribbean leaders suggested the West Indies Federation should investigate the possibility of joining the Canadian Federation but this was never pursued long.
This did not stop Canada from providing the West Indies Federation with two of the region's most importaint gifts, these gifts were two merchant ships named "The Federal Palm" and "The Federal Maple", these two vessels visited every island in the federation twice monthly.
Although the Federation was initially optimistically embraced by all, the unity did not last. The largest provinces, especially Jamaica and Trinidad, quickly gained control over the federal government's agenda, much to the displeasure of the smaller provinces. This in turn caused the larger provinces to resent being members of a union that had so many members hostile to them, and increased pro-independence sentiment. Federal elections were held on March 25, 1958. Two Federal parties were organised as confederations of local political parties, the West Indian Federation Labour Party led by Norman Manley and the Democratic Labour Party led by Alexander Bustamante.
In 1961 the Premier of the Jamaican province held a referendum on political secession from the Federation. It passed, and Jamaica became an independent country. Jamaica's departure signaled the failure of Britain's Caribbean experiment, and the Federation was quickly dissolved, with many former provinces gaining full independence and sovereignty (as Commonwealth realms), but some reverting to being British colonies. After Jamaica's departure Dr. Eric Williams then Premier of Trinidad and Tobago famously stated "One from ten leaves nought" ("zero") and his country left the federation.
The Federation's only Prime Minister was Sir Grantley Herbert Adams of Barbados; its only Governor General was Patrick Buchan-Hepburn, 1st Baron Hailes. Queen Elizabeth II was Head of State.
During the Federation's existence, each member continued to issue its own postage stamps as before; but on April 22, 1958, the members (except for the Cayman Islands) each issued a set of three commemorative stamps. All of these stamps used a common design depicting a map of the Caribbean and a portrait of Queen Elizabeth, with an inscription at the top reading "THE WEST INDIES / FEDERATION 1958" at the top and the name of the member at the bottom. All of these stamps are quite common in both mint and used condition.
The nation's currency was the West Indies dollar, which later was succeeded by the East Caribbean dollar, the Belize Dollar, the Jamaican Dollar, the Barbados dollar, the Trinidad and Tobago dollar and the Guyana dollar.
A partial legacy of the Federation is the West Indian cricket team, although the side was actually organised many years prior to the independence of the Federation.
Another lasting regional fixture officially created before the West Indies Federation, is the University of the West Indies. During the West Indies Federation the University took a policy of regionl expansion into two other islands of the Federation, besides its main Jamaica campus. The two other campuses established was one to the twin island state of Trinidad and Tobago established in 1960, and one in the island of Barbados, established a short time after the Federation disolved in 1963.
References
- Hoyes, F. A. 1963. The Rise of West Indian Democracy: The Life and Times of Sir Grantley Adams. Advocate Press.
- Williams, Eric. 1964. British Historians and the West Indies. P.N.M. Publishing Company, Port-of-Spain.
- Gonsalves, Ralph E. 1994. History and the Future: A Caribbean Perspective. Quik-Print, Kingstown, St. Vincent.
- Carmichael, Trevor A. 2001. Passport to the Heart: Reflections on Canada Caribbean Relations. Ian Randle Publishers, Kindstown 6, Jamaica. ISBN 976-637-028-1 The Book's Forward (http://www.david-kilgour.com/secstate/passport.htm)
|
