Description: Examining such events as Tackey's Rebellion of 1760, the Somerset decision of 1772, and the murder case of Zong in 1873 in an Atlantic context, Burnard reveals Jamiaca to be a brutally effective society that was highly adaptable to new economic and political circumstances, even when placed under stress, as during the American Revolution.
Review Quotes: "Trevor Burnard has done as much as if not more than any other historian to privilege the British Caribbean in this new history, demonstrating the enormous significance of these colonies in the histories of Great Britain and North America. For decades he has placed Jamaica at the centre of this narrative, and in some ways this book is the culmination of his efforts to persuade British and American historians of the significance of this one island . . . This is a masterful piece of work, and it should be read by all who are interested in Britain and its empire in the age of revolutions."-- "Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History"