LibGuides: History of the British Empire (1815-1914): Caribbean

British Empire in the Caribbean: Digitized Primary Sources

British Caribbean in General
The British Empire's Caribbean possessions in the included the islands of "British West Indies." British Honduras (now Belize) on the east coast of Central America, and Bermuda in the Atlantic are also grouped with this region.

British Government publications on the West Indies overall, 1815-1914
Digital Library of the Caribbean - This collective database has primary sources relating to Caribbean nations including Jamaica, Bermuda, the Bahamas, and more -- but is mostly post-1950.
West Indian Archival Collections from Cambridge U. - variety of manuscripts and rare material related to Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, etc.

Northern Caribbean (Jamaica & Dependencies)
British possessions in this region included Jamaica, the Bahamas, the Turks & Caicos, Cayman Island, and British Honduras (now Belize). For much of the 1800s, these areas were grouped under the governorship of Jamaica.

Bahamas: Books, Laws, etc., 1815-1914
Belize (formerly British Honduras): Books, Laws, etc., 1815-1914
Jamaica: Acts and Laws of the British Government, 1800s-1900s. To search within this group, click "Revise Search" then add your keywords.
Jamaica: Annual Handbooks, 1880s-1900s - A British government annual reference guide, which provided statistics, transportation schedules, directories of government units and employees, information about schools, churches and businesses, and more.
Jamaica: 1831 Sam Sharpe Rebellion & 1865 Morant Bay Rebellion - Digitized sources compiled by the National Library of Jamaica related to these two rebellions.
Jamaica: notable published sources, 1700s-1867 - links to sources curated by National Library of Jamaica.
Jamaica & the West Indies: British books, 1807-1914 - digitized British books on many topics including travel, slavery, how to run a plantation, and more.

Southern Caribbean (Leeward / Windward Islands and Guyana)
The British had three administrative areas for this region: the "Leeward Islands" (Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica); the "Windward Islands" (Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago); and British Guyana.

Leeward Islands Books, Laws, etc., 1815-1914. Includes Antigua and Barbuda, Montserrat, British Virgin Islands, Anguilla, Saint Kitts and Nevis, and Dominica. To search within this group, click "Revise Search" then add your keywords.
Windward Islands Books, Laws, etc., 1815-1914. Includes Barbados, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago. To search within this group, click "Revise Search" then add your keywords.
British Guyana Books, Laws, etc., 1815-1914. To search within this group, click "Revise Search" then add your keywords.

Bermuda
The islands of Bermuda are in the mid-Atlantic east of the Carolinas, but for convenience's sake are often grouped with the rest of the so-called British West Indies.

Books, reports, etc., 1815-1914. To search within this group, click "Revise Search" then add your keywords.