Decolonization without Independence: Nationalism and Assimilation in the Non-Sovereign Caribbean

Non-independent territories account for more than half the states of the Caribbean today. Despite this, narratives of Caribbean decolonization frequently brush over or ignore the non-sovereign states of the region. Histories of global decolonization are even more likely to disregard these territories. However, there is much to be learned about the nature of decolonization from these seemingly unconventional, non-independent states. Using case studies from the Cayman Islands, the British Virgin Islands, Martinique and Guadeloupe, this paper will explore the local dimensions of decolonization, including local constructions of race and gender. It will also reveal the global connections which influenced decision makers, political activists and local opinion, demonstrating that these territories were intimately connected to developments elsewhere in the Caribbean, and globally. The paper will combine oral history, archival sources, newspapers and political memoirs to analyse the factors that influenced changes to political status. No longer formal colonies, yet having not become conventional independent sovereign states, these territories challenge our preconceptions about decolonization and the so-called postcolonial world.

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