A while back The-Philatelist presented a Saint Vincent post independence stamp that concentrated on the issues of that time, see https://the-philatelist.com/2018/10/01/saint-vincent-against-all-odds-has-a-stable-currency-even-if-joshua-gone-barbados/ . While researching this stamp from the later days of colony I came on a whole different telling on the history of the island from a black rather then colonial perspective. It may shed light on why the West Indian Federation failed and these islands decided to go it alone. So slip on your smoking jacket, fill your pipe, take your first sip of your adult beverage, and sit back in your most comfortable chair. Welcome to todays offering from The Philatelist.
This was a fairly plain issue showing Queen Elizabeth as a new queen and in higher denominations the coat of arms of the colony. I have often equated a Monarch’s portrait on a colony’s stamp as a reminder to those far from the home country that Britain remembers and is looking out for their endeavor. During this time Britain was actively trying to extricate itself from the expense of looking out for these small islands and to me that tarnishes the intended calming effect of an issue like this. This stamp comes from a time of a great migration out of Saint Vincent, especially among those who might feel like they won’t fit in with an in charge Garanagu culture.
Todays stamp is issue A23, a 25 cent stamp issued by the Crown Colony of Saint Vincent on September 16th, 1955. This was a 12 stamp issue in various denominations that lasted over a decade. According to the Scott catalog, the stamp is worth 25 cents used.
The traditional view of history of Saint Vincent is that British invaders subdued and then small pox wiped out local Caribe Indians. African slaves were imported to work sugar cane plantations and when slavery was abolished in 1834 the island fell into a deep poverty and an expensive failure for Britain.
Here is a different telling that is gaining favor in the region of a Garangu culture. As early as the 1300s AD, migrants from the west African Mali empire came to Saint Vincent. At the same time Caribe Indians were arriving from the territory that is modern Venezuela. They intermarried and a very strong culture developed that strongly resembled Mali. In 1635, a slave ship shipwrecked near the island and the Africans were freed and integrated instead of being returned to the slave traders. Hearing of the independent black culture of Saint Vincent, escaped slaves of other islands made way to Saint Vincent on makeshift boats and were welcomed.
In 1763, Saint Vincent was awarded to Britain by the Treaty of Paris. What followed was a 34 year war to try to subdue the island. Garanagu leader Joseph Satuye lead Africans bravely against the British until his final defeat. Defeated warriors were held on the island of Beliceaux. Some then escaped to the Honduran island of Roatan. There is an annual pilgrimage of Saint Vincent residents to Beliceaux to remember their fallen.
Though the Garanagu were militarily defeated, the British were unable to enslave them. Desperately British India contract workers and some Portuguese and Chinese were brought in to work their sugar cane plantations, but the British just could not make the colony work as they had gone against Garanagu culture. As a face saving way out, Britain tried to impose a West Indies Federation to be run out of Port of Spain under mixed race British trained Jamaican politician Norman Manly. The Philatelist presented a Jamaican stamp on him here, https://the-philatelist.com/2018/08/09/jamaica-1970-mixed-race-leaders-try-to-graft-socialism-onto-black-jamaica/ . Canada was to provide guidance, help and supervision in place of the British. There was even talk that the Federation could include British Honduras and British Guyana and end up a Canadian province.
The British again failed to take into account the strength of Garanagu culture and the West Indies Federation failed. One benefit was the donation by Canada of two ships, the Federal Palm and the Federal Maple, that visited all the islands of the federation twice a month to improve communication and ironically enhance Garanagu culture.
Saint Vincent became fully independent in 1979. Though the population is lower than in previous times, the demographics are much more in keeping with the time before the Garanagu were subdued. The island is still part of the Commonwealth and maintains friendly ties with Canada. It even host numerous American iffy medical schools. The key is not going against Garanagu culture.
Well my drink is empty and this was fun attacking a subject from a completely different perspective. Come again soon for another story that can be learned from stamp collecting. First published in 2020.