Unlocking the Archives: Researching the British West Indies

This class offers a practical introduction to accessing and interpreting historical records from the British West Indies, with a focus on uncovering under explored narratives within colonial archives. Participants will learn how to navigate a range of primary sources, including plantation records, slave registers, wills, deeds, and compensation claims. These documents provide vital insight into the lives of enslaved people, slaveholders, and the social structures that underpinned colonial Caribbean societies. Through guided instruction, students will explore how and where to access these records whether through online databases such as the U.K. National Archives, the Legacies of British Slave-ownership project, or physical archives in Britain and the Caribbean. Emphasis will be placed on evaluating the biases and limitations of the sources, as well as strategies for reading between the lines to recover marginalised voices.