Labour Pains: Resistance and Protest in Barbados, 1938-1904

Labour Pains: Resistance and Protest in Barbados, 1838 1904 portrays the experiences of workers in Barbados in the period of transition from slavery to a free labour system. Henderson Carter describes the hardships faced by the newly freed population, as well as their responses to the injustices levelled against them by their former enslavers. These responses varied from arson to riot, from rebellion to complete disengagement from the sugar estates and a rejection of the plantation culture and lifestyle. Carter also discusses the various legislations enacted by the authorities in an attempt to control a population which had been freed without access to the necessary social institutions. Labour Pains highlights the persistent struggle of the working population of Barbados against poverty and disenfranchisement. It is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the dynamics of labour protest and resistance within this period.