The Caribbean-Americans: The Activists, Part 2

“I for one believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them

and the basic causes that produce it, they’ll create their own program,

and when the people create a program, you get action.” 
— Malcolm X

In the dichotomous repatriation versus integration approaches to address the “accelerating racial problems” in the United States, beginning in the 1800s, John Brown Russwurm, as many free African Americans of his time, took the option to repatriate to Africa. For Russurm, the move appears to have been successful during his time of leadership. There may still be a wealth of insight to be gleaned from his experience that could be applied to solving the on-again/off-again, so-called race relations in America today, as well as for empowerment of the black community. John Brown advocated education, trade, and dissemination of information designed for the “moral, religious, civil, and literary improvement of free persons of color living in the United States." Unpopular among free persons of color who sought to integrate into American society, repatriation efforts may have finally lost its appeal when John B. Russwurm died in 1851.

In a conversation with Harry Belafonte[1], young activist Phillip Agnew cited a “dropping the ball” that occurred between the time of the civil rights movement's emergence in the early 1900s, and the present. Before we get to the period Agnew refers to, we leap forward about 100 years from the mid 1800s when John Brown Russwurm died, into the mid 1900s, the major period of the Civil Rights Movement. During that period the focus of the Caribbean American activists was on integration into American society by gaining access to constitutional rights and economic participation. We present Dr. Muriel Pettioni, a nurturing community health professional, Malcolm X, the controversial Muslim Minister, and Harry Belafonte, celebrity actor, singer-songwriter, and philanthropist.

Dr. Muriel Pettioni, 1914-2011

Image via nlm.nih.gov

Doctor, Community Activist
Founder, Friends of Harlem Hospital
Founder, Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society for Women

Position: Integration—healthcare, housing, education, professional support

"If you had your heart and mind bursting and needed to talk to someone who was a physician, not bleeding in the body but bleeding in mind and soul, I would listen. I wasn’t brilliant. I wasn’t the best physician in the world, but I was nice enough to make people feel good.”

Self-deprecating and humble, it was clear from her death bed what Dr. Muriel Pettioni-Woolfolk stood for according to Paul Vitello’s obituary:

In her last days, Dr. Muriel Petioni summoned to her bedside many of the colleagues, protégés and political allies she had amassed during a lifetime as a Harlem physician and community activist. She gave each a set of marching orders: Make sure the new geriatric center at the hospital has the homey atmosphere we agreed on. Have you recruited new volunteers for the Harlem Elders program, as we discussed? The new clinic on 146th Street — let’s make sure it has the equipment it needs.

The daughter of Rosa and Dr. Charles Pettioni, Muriel Pettioni, was born in Trinidad, January 1914. She immigrated to the United States in 1919 with her family to join her father, a former journalist, who had been exiled two years prior for anti-colonial views. Muriel followed her father into the field of medicine. She was the only woman in her graduating class at the Harvard University Medical School in 1937.

In her busy life as a school physcian with a private practice on the first floor of her home, Dr. Pettioni led initiatives to gain healthcare access, housing, and educational opportunities for the Harlem community. Dr. Pettioni founded the Friends of Harlem Hospital, and mentored school-aged young people and black medical students in pursuing a career in medicine. Perhaps from her experience as the only black female in her graduating class at Harvard Medical, Dr. Pettioni founded a professional support group within the American Medical Association, the Susan Smith McKinney Steward Medical Society for Women.

Through her gracious bedside manners, and a soupcon of her persistent, self-described “meddling,” Dr. Muriel Pettioni-Woolfolk proactively used her professional influence to enable Harlem residents in participating in American society. 

MALCOLM X nee Little, el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz

1925-1965

Minister, Human Rights Activist 

Image via malcolmx.com

Muslim Mosque, Inc., Founder

Position: Integration—new hope for the future;

a message for all races.

“I am not a racist. I am against every form of racism and segregation, every form of discrimination. I believe in human beings, and that all human beings should be respected as such, regardless of their color.”

Under the influence of a morally flexible Islamic leader, the early career of Malcolm X as a human rights activist expressed strong supremacist views which advocated for the separation of blacks and whites. Though it is not apparent that he expressedly advocated repatriation, Malcolm X vehemently opposed any dealings with white America.

“Intelligent and articulate,” “a media magnet,” “his charisma, drive, and conviction attracted an astounding number of new members. Malcolm was largely credited with increasing membership in the NOI from 500 in 1952 to 30,000 in 1963.”

Where Malcolm’s extreme views took a turn toward a new vision for integration came following a betrayal of his religious foundation, and a subsequent pilgrimage to Mecca. Feeling disillusioned by the sexual misconduct of his mentor and Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammed, Malcolm X left the Nation of Islam to start his own mosque.

Image via malcolmx.com

He was deeply hurt by Muhammad’s actions, because he had previously considered him a living prophet. Malcolm also felt guilty about the masses he had led to join the NOI, which he now felt was a fraudulent organization built on too many lies to ignore.

Image via malcolmx.com

Upon returning from Mecca, Malcolm also recanted his militant views, attibuting it to the fraudulent leadership of Elijah. He brilliantly proposed reframing the Civil Rights movement from a domestic issue to a matter of international human rights advocacy to gain support of developing nations around the world and attention of the United Nations.

"In a famous letter from Mecca, he wrote that his experiences with white people during his pilgrimage convinced him to "rearrange" his thinking about race and "toss aside some of [his] previous conclusions. [L]istening to leaders like Nasser, Ben Bella, and Nkrumah awakened me to the dangers of racism. I realized racism isn't just a black and white problem. It's brought bloodbaths to about every nation on earth at one time or another."

There is much irony in this change of heart in Malcom X as it pertains to America’s fight for independence: from a reactive, exclusive, supremacy stance to a considerate, inclusive, universal view. 

Image via malcolmx.com

“Don’t be in a hurry to condemn because he doesn’t do what you do or think as you think or as fast. There was a time when you didn’t know what you know today.”

It is said that history is written by the victors, and so it was with Malcom X, whose galvanic influence in the Civil Rights era was crushed under the propanda of militantism. After multiple attempts on his life, Malcom X was assassinated at a public speaking event, February 1965, by conspirators and government infiltrators within his own organization. Knowing that his future survival was uncertain, Malcolm wrote his self-titled autobiography, which was recognized by Time Magazine as one of the Top 10 most influential books of the 20th century  (1998).



Harry Belafonte, 1927 - 

Singer-songwriter, Actor,

Image via moralheroes.org 

Humanitarian Philanthropist/Activist
UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador
ACLU Juvenile Justice Ambassador

Position: Integration—American Patriot, against “violating the American desire,” shaping the economic paradigm.

I'm struck by (the) observation that integration was the target for the movement that we experienced in the 1950s, '60s. But integration, I think that's a little misunderstood. We [were] looking to integrate into America, whether it was racial integration, economic integration or some type of social integration. It was that we knew that if we were not part of the fabric of what this nation professed to be about, that if we didn't have the right to vote, that if we didn't have the right to attend institutions of our choice for learning, that if we didn't have a chance to become a bigger part of the American dream that was, for us, also a dream that we would never really truly touch the heartbeat of what America was about. This was about a bigger integration. But it's always been narrowed down to just the issue of race specifically.[1]

Born in 1927, Harry Belafonte, the son of Jamaican immigrants, used his success and celebrity as an actor and singer-songwriter to support humanitarian activism around the world. Known for his movie stardom in Carmen, and popular calypso folk songs, Day-O and Jump In De Line, Harry Belafonte’s philanthropically funded Dr. KIng's leadership of the Civil Rights movement, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Council, and various initiatives at the height of the Movement. In supporting anti-apartheid efforts Belafonte helped introduce exiled South African artists like Miriam Makeba to American and international audiences.

Image: eurweb.com

 Belafonte funded Freedom Rides and helped organize the historic March on Washington. In addition to his numerous artistic and activist accolades, Belafonte is recognized for leading an initiative to provide famine relief in Ethiopia by recording a celebrity artist collaboration, We Are The World. The recording was a global success raising millions of dollars for the program. He promoted awareness of children’s needs from Senegal to sub-Saharan Africa, as well as HIV/AIDS in South Africa.

Image: docurama.com

Despite being blacklisted during the McCarthy era, Belafonte remained an outspoken political voice. He remained an unapologetic critic of U.S. foreign policy in regards to sanctions on Cuba, the invasion of Grenada and later, Iraq.

When black people got the right to vote totally in this country, it was not just the right to vote as a mechanical act. How do you select the individuals that are going to represent us?[1]

Harry Belafonte is a living legend in the entertainment industry, as well as in political and humanitarian activism. His legacy is ongoing as he continues to speak up for those who need a voice as a Goodwill Ambassador (UNICEF) and Juvenile Justice Ambassador (ACLU). Yet, Mr. Belafonte feels that his time of crusading is near it's end, an acceptance of inevitability. Asked how he would like to be remembered, Mr. Belafonte replied simply, “American patriot.”

Image: nydailynews.com

“It has taken me all my life in commitment to Dr. King’s ideals to try to make this remarkable creature called America work, all of the designs are there; all the details are there. We have just failed to call upon them in the abundance we should call upon them to get the kind of guidance we need to get this ship on course.”

Well said, Mr. Belafonte. We get the impression from events in the past year that some strides were lost in progress of "race relations" in the United States. In light of Malcolm X's quote on defining issues and allowing people to act, Mr. Belafonte may be on point in recognizing that race is an intractable reductionist issue that keeps the Civil Rights Movement from attaining a conclusive victory. As scientific findings have determined the concept race an amorphous, unsubstiated construct, the old fall back on race points to something else. 

What is that "something else?" How could we go about discovering or defining what it is? Or is it simply obvious that..."The reason that we seem to be fighting the same fight all the time is because we are fighting the same fight all the time. This generation has to now go back and pay attention to the things that we had won, [which] are now being lost because of this power play. I think this thing that we feel redundant, that we are fighting the same thing, is because (we have always been kept) in the same place."[1] It is time we break off this holding pattern and move forward.

This completes the 2-part series on the Caribbean American activists. If you are just joining read part 1 on the activists , and about the founders. We have flowed from founding cities and nations, to seeking constitutional and economic participation. Taking Mr. Belafonte's advice, let us now pay attention to what we might learn from the next group of Caribbean-Americans--the Statesmen.

Reference:

1. Binns, L. (n.d.). Harry Belafonte: My mission is near its end | Al Jazeera America. Retrieved June 27, 2015, from http://america.aljazeera.com/watch/shows/america-tonight/articles/2015/3/2/harry-belafonte-my-mission-is-near-its-end.html
2. Biography. (2015, February 10). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://malcolmx.com/biography/
3. Dr. Muriel Petioni | The HistoryMakers. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://www.thehistorymakers.com/biography/dr-muriel-petioni-39
4. Harry Belafonte - Early Years. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://www.biography.com/people/harry-belafonte-12103211#early-years
5. Harry Belafonte - Political; Humanitarian Activism. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Belafonte#Political_and_humanitarian_activism
6. Malcolm X. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/?title=Malcolm_X
7. Struggle and Song Define a Life. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://mobile.nytimes.com/2012/01/13/movies/sing-your-song-documentary-about-harry-belafonte-review.html?referrer
8. Vitello, P. (n.d.). Muriel Petioni, 97, Prominent Harlem Physician, Dies. Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://mobile.nytimes.com/2011/12/10/nyregion/muriel-petioni-prominent-harlem-physician-dies-at-97.html?referrer=

The Caribbean-Americans: The Activists, Part 1

“I for one believe that if you give people a thorough understanding of what confronts them

and the basic causes that produce it, they’ll create their own program,

and when the people create a program, you get action.” — Malcolm X

What is activism really about if not a quest for wholeness, personal, even spiritual integrity. The next four individuals featured for Caribbean-American Heritage Month highlight the various approaches to seeking a universal wholeness in the socio-political sphere that seemed appropriate for their time. In part one of this two-part series, for John Brown Russwurm it was through dissemination of knowledge and self-determination through repatriation to Africa. In part two of the series, Muriel Pettioni sought healthcare access for the Harlem community and a voice for women in the medical community. Macolm X sought constitutional and civil rights, while Harry Belafonte advocated for civil rights and stood against the violation of the American desire, albeit self-determination, equality, civil liberties, and freedom. The quest is as old as the United States and it’s fight for sovereignty, but unlike the decisive victory over imperial rule, the Civil Rights Movement is more akin to the prolonged 40 year journey of Moses and the Israelites fated to wander the desert until the tribes attained a certain cohesive identity and spiritual maturity. Where does the movement stand today?

Somewhere between the circusry of Rachel Dolezal, and the soul-searing hateful act of Dylann Roof may lie a truth about race relations and civil rights in America, and in the world, for the matter, wherever violence and disenfranchisement based on ethnicity exists. To perpetuate the issue of race today seems as foolhardy and pigheaded as the recalcitrant denial of heliocentrism of a certain age. Race, it has been found, is scientifically unsubstantiated, merely a social construct. More than simply taking down emblems of racism and hatred, there is an opportunity to address the fear and misunderstanding of that truth, and it’s consequent displacement on others.

We will not dwell at length, rehashing the struggle then and now on it’s merit, but simply recognize how Caribbean-Americans have featured in a significant, ongoing aspect of American culture. In doing so, perhaps in the least it will highlight what has been tried, how that worked, what appeared to have failed but could work with constancy, what remains to be done, and what new, different approaches might be considered.

John Brown Russwurm, 1799-1851

John Russwurm
via russwurm.org

Governor, Publisher, Abolitionist

Founder, 1st Black-owned Newspaper, Freedom Journal

Governor (1836-1851), Cape Palmas, Liberia

Position: Repatriation to Africa—the Liberian Experiment

“the universal emancipation so ardently desired by us; by all our friends, can never take place, unless some door is opened whereby the emancipated may be removed as fast as they drop their galling chains, to some other land besides the free states."[1]

John Brown Russwurm was born in 1799, Port Antonio, Jamaica, to an English father and an unidentified Jamaican black woman, likely a slave. It is not said what became of John’s mother, but when John reached 8 years old, John’s father sent him to Quebec, Canada for his education. A few years later, in 1812, Russwurm senior, relocated to Portland, Maine with his 13-year old son, where he married a widow, Susan Blanchard in the following year. Susan Blanchard seemed certainly a woman of formidable heart, as it is stated that she pressed the elder Russworm to fully acknowledge his son by granting him the family name. John Brown Russworm remained in the Blanchard-Russworm family after his father died just two years later, and Susan Blanchard-Russworm remarried.

A different account  states that in Maine, the adolescent John Brown was home-schooled, then attended preparatory institutes before enrolling at Bowdoin College. At some point before attending college, John returned to Jamaica.  It is not said if he had contact with his mother and extended family, but after a “brief, unhappy visit” John returned to Portland Maine and began collegiate study in Fall of 1824, he was 25 years old. A rare opportunity for blacks in that time, John completed his studies, and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1826 with valedictory honors. John’s advocacy for freedom and repatriation of blacks to Africa was evident in his commencement address, titled “The Condition and Prospects of Hayti.”

"He claimed that Haitians, having overthrown French rule, exemplified the truth that it is the irresistible course of events that all men, who have been deprived of their liberty, shall recover this previous portion of their indefeasible inheritance.' That a young man partially of African descent had graduated from college, the second or third nonwhite to do so in the United States, and had spoken so eloquently of freedom garnered attention from several newspapers and journals, which published extracts of his remarks. Bowdoin College awarded Russwurm an honorary master of arts degree in 1829."[1]

A year later after various teaching jobs in Maine, Philadelphia, and New York John, along with Samuel Cornish, a Presbyterian minister, established the Freedom Journal, the first newspaper in the United States owned, operated, published and edited by African-Americans. Russworm presumably supported himself by teaching evening adult education classes advertised in the paper.

russwurm.org

“The editors declared in the inaugural issue, on 16 March 1827, that they wanted to disseminate useful knowledge of every kind among an estimated 500,000 free persons of color, to bring about their moral, religious, civil, and literary improvement, and, most important of all, to plead their cause, including their civil rights, to the public. They emphasized the value of education and self-help. Although they vowed that the journal would not become the advocate of any partial views either in politics or in religion, it spoke clearly for the abolition of slavery in the United States and opposed the budding movement to colonize freed blacks in Africa. Weekly issues carried a variety of material: poetry, letters of explorers and others in Africa, information on the status of slaves in slaveholding states, legislation pending or passed in states that affected blacks, notices of job openings, and personal news such as marriages and obituaries.”[1]

The partnership with Cornish was short lived when he resigned the paper six months later, presumably over disagreement with Russworm’s unpopular position on repatriation of blacks to Africa.

Russwurm was becoming convinced that blacks could not achieve equality with whites in the United States and that emigration to Africa was their best hope. In one of his last editorials, he wrote that "the universal emancipation so ardently desired by us & by all our friends, can never take place, unless some door is opened whereby the emancipated may be removed as fast as they drop their galling chains, to some other land besides the free states."

The final issue of the journal appeared on 28 March 1829, whereupon, two months later, Cornish resumed its editorship under a new title, The Rights of All. His vigorous denunciation of the colonization movement in fact represented the majority view among slaves and free blacks.” [1]

worldportsource.org

In fall of 1829, John Russworm put his repatriation views to the test and emigrated to Monrovia, capital of Liberia, “an American colony established by the American Colonization Society, a national group that favored the voluntary repatriation of blacks to Africa as a solution to accelerating racial problems.” He was appointed to the posts of Colonial Secretary and Superintendent of Education in Monrovia with purview of Editor of the government run, Liberia Herald newspaper. Russworm immersed himself in Liberian culture, learning several native languages. He was appointed as Agent of Trade for the to promote agriculture and trade diplomacy among neighboring countries and colonial whites. Some policies of the ACS did not mesh well with Russworm’s repatriation views which along with calls for independence of the Herald led to his removal as Editor and his appointments in 1835.

By then a new colony, Cape Palmas, had been established in 1834 by the Maryland State Colonization Society, south of Monrovia. Russworm was appointed to govern the newly formed colony, a post he held for 15 years until his death. Some of his accomplishments as Governor of Cape Palmas include,

Cape Palmas, Liberia
wikipedia.org

…(establishing) a currency system, improved business procedures, and (adopting) a legal code. He attempted to smooth relations with neighboring African groups but, having mixed success, enlarged the militia and encouraged the American African Squadron, whose goal was the suppression of the slave trade, to visit along the coast as a display of support. He worked to stimulate agriculture, both by the colonists on their own farms and by the enlargement of the public farm on which he planted a nursery and experimented with various crops. He oversaw numerous public improvements and the addition of territory to the colony.[1]

It took three stages in his career development to demonstrate the possibility of successful implementation of the idea of repatriating African-Americans to Africa, and one might conclude that John Brown Russworm did much to realize his “universal desire.”

Russwurm's judicious application of the colony's constitution and ordinances, political preeminence over the often fractious settlers, and ability to govern well with decreasing supervision of the board in Baltimore coincided with a mounting demand among the colonists in the late 1840s that Maryland in Liberia either be granted independence or that it seek annexation to the newly created Republic of Liberia. The governor himself seems not to have taken a stand, possibly because of his disappointment with the current generation of colonists, whom he characterized as still too unenlightened to accomplish much.[1]

The repatriation experiment may have lost its appeal when John Brown Russworm, a Caribbean American, first non-white Governor of the Liberian repatriation colonies, died June 1851. He was 52 years old.

Next: The Activists, Part 2; The Statesmen. Read about the Founders here.


Reference:

1. American National Biography Online: Russwurm, John Brown. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://www.anb.org/articles/04/04-00877.html
2. John Brown Russwurm. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown_Russwurm
3. John Brown Russwurm. (n.d.). Retrieved June 26, 2015, from http://russwurm.org/JBR/

The Caribbean Americans: Founders

Don't forget your history; know your destiny

~Bob Marley

Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable
Founder of Chicago, Illinois

Alexander Hamilton
Founding Father of the United States of America

June 2015 was declared National Caribbean-American Heritage Month by proclamation of the President of the United States of America.

 Map of the Caribbean and North, Central, and South America

The Caribbean islands forming the Atlantic Rim extending from the Florida panhandle to the shores of the South American continent have been both a paradiso playground and gateway to the Americas. Referred to alternatively as the Antilles or West Indies by European settlers, the former colonies of the British, French, Danish, and Spanish are now mostly independent island nations. Migration between the American continent and the Caribbean islands remains diplomatic with over 2 million Caribbean-Americans currently residing in the United States. 

In recognizing outstanding Caribbean-Americans and their contributions to American life we cover a storied continuum from the founding of a great city and the rise of this great nation, to the guidance and shaping of it’s culture and continuing interests. We begin the series with two great men, born 10 years apart, who quite likely had knowledge of each other during the revolutionary period in which the republic of the United States was founded. Remarkably both of these men were orphaned early in life, and pluckily went on to their achievements through the support of benefactors who provided an education and trade. To simplify the presentation, a chronological birth order is utilized.

Statue of Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable
Chicago, Illinois

Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable, 1745-1818
Trader, First Settler/Founder of Chicago Illinois

Wikipedia, the free online encyclopaedia,  attempts to debunk the wildly varied accounts of Du Sable’s history, which based on insight of early Caribbean lore and mores doesn’t ring true. The skepticism is echoed in the du Sable’s biography on PBS’ American Experience, however, the critical commentary is good, so one might not simply accept one account over another because it satisfies the brain’s need for a neatly packed and tied together story. What matters is that from various sketchy histories, Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable emerged prominently as the first settler of Chicago, Illinois.

The DuSable Heritage Association acknowledges the dearth of chronicled accounts of this seeming ambitious and strategically enterprising man. They concluded that anecdotal references suffice to support the claim of du Sable’s Haitian birth and eventual migration to the North American French colony, New Orleans.

“Jean-Baptiste Pointe DuSable was born in St. Marc, Haiti (or St. Domingue as Haiti was known then) around 1745 of a French father and a Black African Slave mother. There is a paucity of information in the historical record as pertains to DuSable’s life in Haiti prior to his migration to New Orleans around 1765. Many scholars suggest that DuSable may have had French Canadian origins. However most biographers generally agree that the majority of evidence regarding his origins leads to the conclusion that he was a mulatto from present day Haiti.”[1]

Of the establishment of a trading post it is said, Jean-Baptiste du Sable had the ambition of establishing a livelihood of trade and formed alliance with a Native American who taught him how to trap and pelt fur. The du Sable estate is now recognized as the first settlement of the Midwestern territory that would develop into modern day Chicago, Illinois. Portraiture of du Sable and the early settlement does not exist; what is available are artist renderings to visualize the man and the terrain.

Eschecagou settlement. Insets (l) Du Sable, (r) Du Sable trading post

“Located on the north bank of the Chicago River at its junction with Lake Michigan, DuSable’s estate consisted of a modest sized home, a horse mill, a bake house, a dairy, a smokehouse, a poultry house, a workshop, a stable, and a barn. The location of this settlement was at a natural crossroad for both Native Americans and Europeans seeking access to the Mississippi River. Many explorers and pioneers had come in passing prior to this settlement however none had stayed. DuSable established the first permanent settlement in present day Chicago and lived at that site for at least twenty years. He set up a trading post which flourished supplying customers with flour, pork, and bread in exchange for cash and durable goods. DuSable had established a good reputation with trading relations as far as Detroit, Green Bay, Mackinac and St. Joseph.”[2]

At a cross-road for explorers, settlers, militia, and troops navigating Native American territory and Midwestern colonies, du Sable was inevitably scrutinized and arrested by the military in the developing American revolution. Varied accounts are given of his end of life events, all of which involved selling the Chicago property and relocating either to French Canada, or back to Indiana or Louisiana where he likely had favorable ties.  

There is a poignant trace of the revolutionary period in which Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable lived when his surname is written in alternative form DuSable. One finds the nation’s acronym d-uSa-ble, hinting at what was to come. 

Alexander Hamilton, 1755-1804

Founding Father of the United States of America

First Secretary of the United States Treasury

Founder of the United States Monetary System

Founder of the Federalist Party

Founder of the Bank of New York

If Alexander Hamilton had not submitted to the fateful duel that ended his life, he might have outlived his Caribbean compatriot, Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable well into the 1800s. Given all of his accomplishments by that time, it is left to wonder how much more he could have accomplished in his prodigious career. Hamilton’s life follows a similar pattern as du Sable’s from his birth on the British West Indies island of Nevis to his formative years in the Danish colonies on St. Croix (now US territory), then on to study in colonies in New Amsterdam (present day New York). 

Birthplace of Alexander Hamilton, Charlestown, Nevis, British West Indies

While du Sable's destiny charted by way of trade, Hamilton's course charted through the military and governance. It is said Hamilton was recognized for his intellectual abilities and oratory talent, he became chief staff aide to General George Washington having much autonomy in executing the duties of his office. 

“Hamilton played a major role in the American Revolutionary War. At the start of the war in 1775, he organized an artillery company. He soon became the senior aide to General Washington, the American forces' commander-in-chief. Washington sent him on numerous important missions to tell generals what Washington wanted. After the war, Hamilton was elected to the Congress of the Confederation from New York. He resigned, to practice law, and founded the Bank of New York. Hamilton was among those dissatisfied with the weak national government. He led the Annapolis Convention, which successfully influenced Congress to issue a call for the Philadelphia Convention, in order to create a new constitution. He was an active participant at Philadelphia; and he helped achieve ratification by writing 51 of the 85 installments of the The Federalist Papers. To this day, it is the single most important reference for Constitutional interpretation.”[3]

After an excursion into law practice back in New York, Alexander Hamilton continued participation in shaping the political and economic foundation of the American republic. Christian Parenti writes, 

Statue of Alexander Hamilton at the U.S. Treasury, Washington, DC

“Hamilton was alone among the “founding fathers” in understanding that the world was witnessing two revolutions simultaneously. One was the political transformation, embodied in the rise of republican government. The other was the economic rise of modern capitalism, with its globalizing networks of production, trade, and finance…In the face of these changes, Hamilton created (and largely executed) a plan for government-led economic development…his political mission was to create a state that could facilitate, encourage, and guide the process of economic change — a policy also known as dirigisme…”[4]

Alexander Hamilton succeeded in his mission through a Cabinet appointment as the first Secretary of the Treasury of the United States by President George Washington. As Secretary of the Treasury, Hamilton structured the nation’s monetary system and public debt, initiated economic policy for developing public utilities, infrastructure, and industrial development. Hamilton issued 3 key reports on the performance of the developing national economy, (1) a report on public credit, (2) report on the operations of import duty system, and (3) a report on the national bank. Hamilton also established a naval police force called Revenue Cutters to patrol the coastal marine trade routes for smuggling and piracy, and to assist in collecting tariffs. Hamilton’s philosophy was that economic recovery after the war was the key to peace. He imposed a tax on whiskey to fund a private industrial commission and manufacturing development which he deemed as critical to gaining economic independence.

Political life is not without dichotomy and scandal, and Hamilton’s verve was marked by forming consensus among bankers and business constituents which then founded the Federalist Party. He was apparently scammed into an adulterous blackmail scheme by a husband and wife team. Then there was the staunch opposition to gubernatorial candidate Aaron Burr who demanded an apology, or be challenged to a duel, for Hamilton’s repeated blocking of his political aspirations through public defamation. Alexander Hamilton declined the apology and in accepting the challenge to duel Burr on July 11, 1804, Hamilton was fatally shot and died from severe internal injuries on July 12, 1804. 

In 1928, President Calvin Coolidge honored Alexander Hamilton with portraiture on the $10 bill for his extraordinary contributions to establishing the nation's enconomy and founding the U. S. Mint (monetary system). Hamilton is one of two non-Presidents to face U.S. currency.

Two extraordinary Caribbean sons, Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable and Alexander Hamilton, one a French mulatto, the latter a French-Scottish white. Both rose out of orphanhood, through benevolent sponsorship and education, to a destiny of remarkable contributions in the founding of the New World. The very different endings of their histories are no less significant of the revolutionary time in which they lived. 

Thank you for joining us in recognizing these great men. And tell us, what are your impressions (thoughts, feelings) when reading about Alexander Hamilton in context of his Caribbean origins? What defines Caribbean identity; is it race, ethnicity, culture? Which Caribbean American in history or present day has inspired or influenced you personally or vocationally?

Read more about du Sable and Hamilton in the links provided below. 

Next: The Community Activists (Parts 1 and 2), The Statesmen 

References:

[3]Alexander Hamilton. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Hamilton

American Experience: People & Events: Jean Baptiste Point du Sable (1745?-1818. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/chicago/peopleevents/p_dusable.html

Butler, D. (n.d.). Jean Baptiste Point Du Sable: The Founder of Chicago. Retrieved June 16, 2015, from http://www.lib.niu.edu/1995/ihy951204.html

[2]Jean Baptiste Point du Sable. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Baptiste_Point_du_Sable

[4] Parenti, C. (n.d.). Reading Hamilton From The Left. Retrieved June 16, 2015, from https://www.jacobinmag.com/2014/08/reading-hamilton-from-the-left/

[1]The History of DuSable. (n.d.). Retrieved June 16, 2015, from http://dusableheritage.com/history/

Image Source (from top, left to right):

Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable portrait https://31.media.tumblr.com/8d2db3835d08c834ce173b990f5ab79f/tumblr_inline_n7xmgeO4qv1ssufzt.gifAlexander Hamilton portrait

Map of the Caribbean galleryhip.com

Jean-Baptiste Pointe du Sable bust unionsuite.com

Artist Rendering du Sable settlement/Eschecagou (collage) http://www.lib.niu.edu/

Alexander Hamilton (standing) - post446.com

Alexander Hamilton, place of birth, Nevis - panaromia.com

Statue of Alexander Hamilton, U.S. Treasury - wikipedia.org

U.S. $10 dollar bill - pixshark.com

St. Lucia Hurricane Relief

As we took to donning masks, costumes, and the sweet indulgences of candy and ghoulish revelry this past weekend, Hurricane Tomas wreaked a horrific display of destructive force on the windward Caribbean islands. Barbados, St. Vincent and St. Lucia sustained heavy flooding and wind damage. Reported deaths from St. Lucia are now at 14, mainly in Soufriere, where the damage is reported to look like a war-zone. Prime Minister Stephenson King estimates damage from massive landslides, sinkholes, and widespread flooding at roughly US$37 million.

Some Facebook friends were able to stay in touch via iPhone and Blackberry internet service, while others, as myself, have been unable to reach family and friends in some parts of the island. Ti Kaye resort owner, Nick Pinnock, posted the earliest views of the damage, "this wasn't the most vicious hurricane but it caught the whole country unaware, it lasted a very long time and it dropped a lot of water."



Massive sinkhole on Choc Bridge swallows an SUV Saturday night.(NPinnock)



Choc Bridge damage and SUV Sunday morning. (NPinnock)



Cul de Sac valley flooded...impassable. (NPinnock)



'Super Rush' recovery mission (NPinnock)

House perched on precipice caused by landslide. (SCepal)

St. Lucia Needs Your Help Now

Donate to help for Tomas victims:

St. Lucia Red Cross,

First Caribbean International Bank,

Bridge St. Castries,

A/C # 2645392

swift code FCIBLCLC -

Swift codes for Intermediary Banks for funds coming in the following currencies:

USD Wachovia Bank N.Y, SWIFT: PNBPUS3NNYC, ABA: 026005092

GBP BARCLAYS BANK, SWIFT: BARCGB22

EURO KBC BAN, SWIFT: KREDBEBB

Beneficiary Bank: FirstCaribbean Int’l

Bank Swift: FCIBLCLC

More information on how help will be posted in subsequent updates.