Why read Creolization and Contraband?

Book cover of Creolization and Contraband: Curaçao in the Early Modern Atlantic World

Book description

When Curacao came under Dutch control in 1634, the small island off South America's northern coast was isolated and sleepy. The introduction of increased trade (both legal and illegal) led to a dramatic transformation, and Curacao emerged as a major hub within Caribbean and wider Atlantic networks. It would also…

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Why read it?

1 author picked Creolization and Contraband as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Carla Gardina Pestana

Author

The Dutch were a force to be reckoned with in the early modern Caribbean, trading with everyone and insinuating themselves everywhere. Rupert’s book shows how the small desert island of Curaçao became a trading entrepôt and in particular how Dutch suppliers, enslaved Africans, and Spanish consumers became entangled. One amazing aspect of this history that Rupert uncovered is the fact that the Protestant Dutch on Curaçao allowed the slaves there to be catechized by Spanish priests from the mainland (today’s Venezuela), working across not only imperial boundaries but also those of religion.

From Carla's list on The best books on the early modern global Caribbean.