Hello, my name is Decs Male Teachers, and I am the Bennett Muskies Fellow in Atlantic History at Exeter College, Oxford.
I am from Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean and I've been based in Oxford for the past two years.
I want to talk to you about eminent historian as head of government, Dr Eric Williams.
But first, let me take you to Oxford through Williams's eyes.
The place perhaps most associate of Williams and Oxford is St. Caspian's college.
The college is still too easy to what's the east of Oxford on the back of the river to live.
Perhaps one of the most characteristic aspects of the college is the fact that it is not enclosed by tall walls, but rather has an open design.
All this would have been a bit unfamiliar to Williams, however, who arrived at Oxford in 1932.
St. Catherine's College was not yet a formal college. It was no as an Catherine society,
which was an association that enabled students to be members of the university without the other half above the college,
thus avoiding the prohibitive cost of an office with college. Now back to Williams.
Dr Williams left Trinidad and Tobago to independence from Britain and became the first prime minister of the country in 1962.
He was not only influential in the early development of the country, but also in the wider Caribbean region.
He made foundational contributions and efforts to what's Caribbean integration?
Even more significantly, Dr. Williams is perhaps best remembered locally for his scholarly contributions
as an Oxford trained Caribbean historian who studied at St Patrick's College,
where he completed a B.A. in history 1955 and later did fail in history in 1958.
His most influential work, Capitalism and Slavery, first published in 1944,
stemmed from his D from dissertation entitled The Economic Aspects of the Abolition of the West Indian Slave Trade and Slave Capitalism and Slavery,
with its several major theses and subspecies, opened up the study of Connexions between slavery,
the Atlantic slave trade and its impact on European economies.
It inspired debates that persist to the present date. Even one of the book's fiercest critics.
Historian Seymour Dresher, categorises it as a classic,
noting that if one criterion of a classic is its ability to reorient almost basic way
of viewing an object or concept Eric Williams has studied supremely passes that test.
Williams says work has had a tremendous impact on the way in which we understand the British
Empire to make capitalism and slavery made a significant argument about the accumulation of goods.
No wealth in Britain based on Perugian slavery as well as slavery.
Tremendous impact on British society, culture and politics in the 18th century.
Most recently, the University College of London's Legacies of British Labour Leadership Project has highlighted the continued significance
of capitalism and slavery and significantly expanded of Williams's initial research beyond Wiggins's scholarship.
He played a significant role in the Caribbean decolonisation process.
In fact, Williams was one of three Oxford educated independence leaders in the Caribbean, along with Norman, Madelene and Graffy Adams.
Williams, Manley and Adams all provide a good avenue to consider the relationship between Oxford and decolonisation process in the Caribbean.
As a Caribbean historian with some interest in connexions between history and public policy and societal development.
I am especially interested in Williams as the politicians Scotland reading capitalism and slavery helped me to develop a
rabid passion for history and for conducting my own historical research through his work on a relatively distant past.
Dr Williams caused a generation of Caribbean people to charge and feel motivated by their heritage.
In the same vein, I hope to encourage Caribbean people to appreciate the significance of having a better understanding of their history,
with the aim of inspiring greater regional pride and empowering them to forge a stronger future in the region.
For those to come. Thank you very much.