A Week of History...

This week was mostly dedicated to learning about the history of Martinique. Monday we had a guided tour of Fort-de-France, the capital. Our guides started out with a bit of history about the town itself, which is, today, the largest city on the island. I make the distinction because, although Fort-de-France (originally called Fort-Royale) has always been the political capital, it was not always the largest, most populated, or most important city. St. Pierre was actually that city until it was wiped out instantly by Mount Pelée’s 1902 eruption.

Pierre Belain D’Esnambuc

So here’s a little history of the island: The original inhabitants of the island were Arawak Amerindians, with archeological sites on the island having them here as early as 400 BC. Then the Carib Indians showed up from the Amazon basin about 800 AD. They completely wiped out the Carib Indians, only keeping some of the women. In 1502, Christopher Columbus landed in Martinique during his 4th trip to the “New World” and named it after Saint Martin: “Martinica” which evolved into “Madinina” (Island of Flowers) then to “Martinique”

Over one hundred years later, Pierre Belain D’Esnambuc, a French pirate of sorts, arrived on the island with almost 200 French settlers and claimed it for the French. The French population grew quickly, with over 700 French settlers on the islan

d by the time Fort Royale was built two years later. They grew crops such as manioc (cassava or tapioca) & potatoes to live on and indigo, tobacco, cocoa, and rocou (it grows on trees and the pods contain small seeds very similar to pomegranate seeds which are used to color or dye things as well as for their slightly peppery with a hint of nutmeg aroma, or their nutty, sweet or peppery taste—we used some to paint our faces for fun!).

With these exot

ic crops, the island became a moderately prosperous locale, especially after Louis XIII authorized the use of African slaves in the French Antilles in 1642. Little by little the Carib Indians are exterminated, by 1660 none can be found on the island and Martinique became an official Royal French Colony, although it would be owned on and off by the Crown, private French elite, or companies such as the The Compagnie des Indes Occidentales. It wasn’t until 1674 that the colony became permanently under the direct control of the French Crown.

In 1685 the “Code Noir” (the Black Code) was adopted. This was a collection of laws regulating the slavery in French colonies. The 60 articles that made up the code included the prohibition of specific acts of cruelty to the slaves such as torture, death or separating families. It also stated that slave owners were required to instruct their slaves in the Catholic faith, which had huge implications because it implied that Africans were human being endowed with a soul that needed tending to. Paradoxically, the code also relegated the slaves to the status of chattel, giving them no more value than that of an animal. On a side note, this code also made it illegal for any Jews to live in French colonies, so they had to leave!

In 1762 the English occupied Martinique for the first time, but only for 9 months because the Treaty of Paris returned it and Guadeloupe to the French (in exchange for Canada). They would recapture the island in 1794 during the French Revolution and then return it again, to Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802 under the terms of the Treaty of Amiens. Although Napoleon Bonaparte is extremely well known the world over, in Martinique, it’s his first wife, Josephine de Bonaparte, who is the celebrity.

She was born here actually, so when Napoleon reinstated slavery after regaining control of the island in 1802, the locals were not happy with her. As we stood near a statue of her in Fort-de-France, our guide explained that some Martinicans believed, at worst, that she promoted the reinstitution of slavery because it benefitted her family who needed them to keep their fortune or, at best, that she sat by and said nothing to dissuade her husband from reinstating slavery. On the other side of the issue are those who believe that, though she may have wanted to intervene, she had no way to do so because Napoleon did not take advice from his wife. This is still passionately debated and in the late 90s a group removed her head from the statue of her found in Fort-de-France. Years later when they re-did the town square where the statue is located, a public debate was held as to whether or not the head should be reattached, and even whether or not the statue should kept in Fort-de-France or placed outside of the capital in the area where she was born. The result of the fierce debates was that she should stay in Fort-de-France, but without her head, which can be seen on the 6th floor of City Hall.

Schoelcher

Slavery was permanently abolished on May 22nd, 1848. One of the biggest names attached to this final abolition of slavery is Victor Schɶlcher, who, as president of a commission, prepared and wrote the decree of April 1848 in which the French government announced that slavery was abolished in all of its colonies.

He is a beloved figure on this island and the town I live in is named after him. His estate donated over 10,000 books from his personal collection and a library was established to house them.

The building was actually built in France and on display in Paris for the World’s Fair before it was dismantled, shipped and reconstructed in Martinique to hold the collection. Unfortunately, a fire ravaged the collection and only 1,200 of the books are left :( and they’re not even found in the library because of their value. It’s a beautiful little building!

Another event that irrevocably marked the island and its history was the eruption of Mount Pelée in 1902, instantly wiping out the bustling commercial and cultural capital of the island. I’ll go more into that in another post.

We also stopped by the Aimé Césaire Theater during our visit. He is one of the most beloved Martinicans. He was elected mayor of Fort-de-France in 1945 and stayed in that post for 56 years. On what would have been his 100th birthday, the Toni Morrison Society installed “A Bench By the Road” which is a movement inspired by an interview in which Toni Morrison stated:

"There is no place you or I can go, to think about or not think about, to summon the presences of, or recollect the absences of slaves . . . There is no suitable memorial, or plaque, or wreath, or wall, or park, or skyscraper lobby. There's no 300-foot tower, there's no small bench by the road. There is not even a tree scored, an initial that I can visit or you can visit in Charleston or Savannah or New York or Providence or better still on the banks of the Mississippi. And because such a place doesn't exist . . . the book (Beloved) had to" (The World, 1989).
There are 14 such benches found throughout the world, with others found at key locations related to slavery and the abolition movement. Some other locations include:

·         Sullivan’s Island, South Carolina, site of Fort Moultrie, and the embarkation point of nearly 75% of the slaves who entered America in the 18th and 19th centuries.

·         Oberlin, Ohio, a community active in the Underground Railroad.

·         Concord, Massachusetts: The Walden Woods “Bench by the Road” Project honors former slave and Revolutionary War hero Brister Freeman, along Henry David Thoreau’s Path.

·         Nyack, NY to honor Underground Railroad conductor Cynthia Hesdra.

A year after Aimé Césaire became mayor of Fort-de-France Martinique became an official French département. This was a big deal, changing their status from a colony to actually French/EU citizens with all the rights a privileges that come with!

So there you have it; the history that gives this beautiful island its rich and varied heritage! I’ll talk about St. Pierre and Mont Pelée in my next blog as it deserves its own post and this one is already pretty long!! Thanks for sticking it out and reading about the fascinating history of Martinique!