Tracing Hidden Feudalism in the Colonies

Throughout the middle ages period, the Crown's  authority in feudal society was outright, enhanced by traveling justices who made sure the collection of taxes, levies, and the administration of royal justice. This centralization of power frustrated the barons, who felt increasingly sidelined by a system that enabled the emperor to govern without their input. The situation intensified throughout King John's reign when his authoritarian way and military failures heightened their discontent.

This abuse of power culminated in the Magna Carta of 1215, a historic effort to restrict the King's power and protect the rights of the barons and the wider realm.


The End of Slavery in the Caribbean: The ending of slavery in the Caribbean caused extensive social and economic changes, just like Britain's decline in feudalism.  Just as the Black Death and the rise of commerce deteriorated the feudal system, the abolition of slavery led to a reordering of Caribbean society.

Formerly enslaved people, now totally free, started to improve their neighborhoods, establishing new cultural expressions and social structures that showed their newfound autonomy. In both contexts, the collapse of conventional class structure, whether feudal lords in Europe or plantation elites in the Caribbean, was driven by wider financial shifts and the increase of new social classes.

This shows how dismantling oppressive systems can result in considerable societal improvements, permitting the emergence of brand-new identities and lifestyles. Explore more about how these historic shifts formed modern Caribbean societies. Get the book "RoguesinParadise".



From "Rogues in Paradise", the Saga of Colonialism in the Caribbean. A True Story of Race, Class, and Culture of the survivors of slavery.

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