American Imperialism In A Small Place

Imagine looking back on your country’s history and realizing how it never truly belonged to its original inhabitants or to you today, however to the foreigners claiming your country for themselves. Since the beginning of their colonization, the people of Antigua have constantly realized this. The colonization of Antigua, as effectively argued throughout the book A Small Place written by Jamaica Kincaid, caused destruction and oppression to the country. Dating back to 2400 BCE, Antigua’s first inhabitants were the Siboney. Overtime, different settlers took a turn claiming the island for themselves including the Caribs in the 16th century and Christopher Columbus—who even named the island after Santa Maria de la Antigua, a church located in Seville, Spain—in 1493. However, in 1632, English settlers colonized Antigua resulting in the island remaining under Britain’s possession. As Thomas Warner became Antigua’s first governor, the English settlers raided various

Once gaining independence, the only experience or firsthand account the Antiguans captured of how to govern and treat each other occurred through the English who governed poorly, murdered and imprisoned each other, and used the country’s wealth not to improve the country itself. Kincaid writes about how those who attempt to uncover government secrets have died, hinting at the murder aspect past Antiguans learned from the English. She continues to explain how the country’s wealth seems to vanish while places such as Antigua’s hospital remain in a destitute state. Since before November 1, 1981, Antigua resided under the rule of one country for three hundred and forty-nine years, thus proving the only influence for their ways is from the English who brought colonization to Antigua. The evidence of a dominant power, Britain, as a deplorable example to those it is dominating, the Antiguans, proves the destruction of