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E-book
Author Reid, Basil A., 1961-

Title Myths and realities of Caribbean history / Basil A. Reid
Published Tuscaloosa : University of Alabama Press, ©2009

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Description 1 online resource (xiv, 154 pages) : illustrations, maps
Series Caribbean archaeology and ethnohistory
Caribbean archaeology and ethnohistory.
Contents Myth 1. Caribbean history started with the arrival of Christoper Columbus in 1492 -- Myth 2. The Arawaks and Caribs were the two major groups in the precolonial Caribbean -- Myth 3. Columbus met Arawaks in the northern Caribbean -- Myth 4. The natives encountered by Christopher Columbus in the northern Caribbean migrated from South America -- Myth 5. The Arawaks were the first potters and farmers to have settled in the Caribbean -- Myth 6. The Ciboneys lived in western Cuba at the time of Spanish contact -- Myth 7. The Island-Caribs were cannnibals -- Myth 8. All the Amerindians migrating from South America to the Caribbean island-hopped from the continent to the Lesser and Greater Antilles -- Myth 9. The Spanish introduced syphilis into the Caribbean and the new world -- Myth 10. Christopher Columbus wrote the version of his "Diario" (diary) that we use today -- Myth 11. The Spanish colonists brought "civilization" to native societies in the Caribbean
Summary "This book seeks to debunk eleven popular and prevalent myths about Caribbean history. Using archaeological evidence, it corrects many previous misconceptions promulgated by history books and oral tradition as they specifically relate to the pre-Colonial and European-contact periods. It informs popular audiences, as well as scholars, about the current state of archaeological/historical research in the Caribbean Basin and asserts the value of that research in fostering a better understanding of the region's past. Contrary to popular belief, the history of the Caribbean did not begin with the arrival of Europeans in 1492. It actually started 7,000 years ago with the infusion of Archaic groups from South America and the successive migrations of other peoples from Central America for about 2,000 years thereafter. In addition to discussing this rich cultural diversity of the Antillean past, Myths and Realities of Caribbean History debates the misuse of terms such as 'Arawak' and 'Ciboneys, ' and the validity of Carib cannibalism allegations"--EBL book details
Bibliography Includes bibliographical references (pages 137-150) and index
Notes English
Print version record
Subject HISTORY -- Caribbean & West Indies -- General.
SUBJECT Caribbean Area -- History -- Errors, inventions, etc
Subject Caribbean Area
Genre/Form History
Form Electronic book
LC no. 2008035776
ISBN 9780817383169
0817383166