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This book exposes the complexity of diplomatic relations between Sweden, France, England and Holland as regard the ownership of Guadeloupe in the early 19th century. Going through these official documents, I found myself reading one of them out loud, acting as if I were participating in a debate at the Congress of Vienna; and I cannot help wondering what Guadeloupe would have been today if the Island had remained Swedish. Like me, the reader might get the feeling of being transported back in time to witness a part of European and West Indian history.
As a descendant of a Nation which has experienced a tumultuous history, I feel obliged to pay reverence to the enduring spirit of Guadeloupe. I sincerely wish that the hibiscus village of Karukera-Guadeloupe will providentially transcend the traumatic hardships of resource wars and the scars of slavery, so that one day this multi-coloured butterfly can freely stretch its wings across the Caribbean sea. As Michel Foucault said: ”Guilt, conscience and duty had their threshold of emergence to secure obligations.” Heretofore, the diplomatic trade-off of the Congress of Vienna as regard Guadeloupe is probably worth, tout ce qui part droit doit plaire, aux colonies d’outre-mer.
These documents are useful to understand the intricacies of colonial expansions and settlements in the West Indies. From original handwritten letters and reports, the reader will get an overall idea of the social and military dynamics of rival European powerbrokers.
Author: Claude Philogène
Illustrator: Astrid Macura
Preface: Inhee Seo
Print length: 477 pages
Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
