Edward Long in the Twenty-First Century Caribbean
Following a ceremony (winter 2021) in which Barbados officially removed Queen Elizabeth II as head of state, Prince William and Kate Middleton visited Jamaica. They were met with protestors calling for apologies and reparations from the British Crown. At least five other former British colonies besides Jamaica, including Belize, the Bahamas, Grenada, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Kitts and Nevis have also indicated a desire to sever direct relationships with the British Monarchy. Considering 2023 marks the 210th anniversary of Edward Long’s death, the author of the famous three-volume History of Jamaica (1774), how might we read Long’s illustrated book when the British Caribbean seems less British?