Histoire civile et commerciale des colonies anglaises dans les Indes occidentales depuis leur découverte par Christophe Colomb jusqu'à nos jour, suivie d'un tableau historique et politique de L'ile de Saint-Domingue avant et depuis la Revolution Francaise

Histoire civile et commerciale des colonies anglaises dans les Indes occidentales depuis leur découverte par Christophe Colomb jusqu'à nos jour, suivie d'un tableau historique et politique de L'ile de Saint-Domingue avant et depuis la Revolution Francaise

The History, Civil and Commercial, of the English Colonies in the West Indies...from their discovery by Christopher Columbus to the present day, followed by a historical and political picture of the island of Santo Domingo before and since the French Revolution

by Bryan Edwards, and translated into French

Published by Dentu, 1801 (Year 9). An antiquarian book with an antique litho map of the West Indies folded and attached at the front. The first edition of the book (originally published in 1793) in French. Translated by François Soulés. The book is in the original hardcover binding - calfskin spine over marble paper covered boards. The titles and bands on the spine are almost entirely faded. 490 pp. The book is in VG condition, lightly foxed and there is a small tear on the map close to where it is attached (please see pics)

About the Author and the book:

Bryan Edwards was born in Britain but lived much of his life in the colony of Jamaica, where he was a planter with several estates. Later, he became a Member of Parliament and used this position to speak in favor of slavery and the slave trade. He was well educated, and The History, Civil and Commercial, of the West Indies (1793) was one of several works that he wrote. It was a popular book that was reprinted a number of times and translated into other languages.
The first book describes indigenous people of the Caribbean, as well as the ancient geography, climate and ecology of the islands. The second and third books focus on the early colonial history of the Caribbean, detailing in particular Anglo-Spanish relations. The fourth book consists largely of ethnography and Edwards's discussion of slavery: Edwards provides a history of the transatlantic slave trade, describes the state of modern slavery in the Caribbean and advances his argument against abolition. The fifth book is an examination of agriculture in the Caribbean, with a focus on the sugar industry. In the sixth and final book, Edwards describes the British system of colonial government in the West Indies and describes the recent history of political and economic relations with Britain and the newly independent United States.
The translator has removed from the original work some of the details about the laws, regulations and ordinances but the fundamental history of these islands since their discovery by Christopher Columbus remains - their inhabitants, the fauna and flora, a state of the commerce and agriculture (Jamaica, Barbados, St. Domingo, St. Vincent.) and the peculiarities of each colony; in addition there's a chapter on the state of slavery in the islands and the slave trade, as well as the history of the rebellion of Santo-Domingo.