By Antonio Dey | HGP Nightly News |
GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — In a profound contribution to Black History Month, University of Guyana historian and scholar Dr. Estherine Adams has released her groundbreaking book, Slavery, Indentureship, and Women’s Labor in Early British Guiana’s Jails. The publication marks a pivotal shift in Caribbean historiography, moving beyond traditional narratives to uncover the survival, resistance, and labor of African and Indian women within the colonial carceral system.
Dr. Adams, who serves as the Head of the Department of History and Caribbean Studies, argues that prisons were not merely sites of punishment but were essential “engines of labor” that fueled the colonial economy.
Redefining the Narrative: Women in the Colonial Jail
While historical accounts of incarceration often focus on men, Dr. Adams’ research reveals a complex world where women were deeply entangled in the legal and economic structures of the 19th and early 20th centuries.
- Labor as Punishment: The book details how the labor of incarcerated women was utilized by the colonial state, bridging the gap between the end of slavery and the rise of the indentureship system.
- Marginalized Voices: Utilizing meticulous archival research, Dr. Adams uncovers “micro-histories” of women who negotiated their existence within a system designed to suppress them.
- The Construction of the Seawall: In one of the book’s most striking revelations, Dr. Adams corrects a long-held historical misconception. While the Dutch are often credited with the construction of Guyana’s iconic seawall, her research proves that the forced labor of incarcerated men and women was instrumental in its completion.
Bridging Ancestral Gaps: The “Voices in Slavery Archives”
Recognizing that many Guyanese of African descent face significant hurdles in tracing their lineage due to the erasure inherent in colonial record-keeping, Dr. Adams has embarked on a collaborative project titled “Voices in Slavery Archives.”
- Ancestry Tracing: This initiative helps individuals navigate fragmented historical records to reclaim their heritage.
- Acknowledging Gaps: Dr. Adams urges Afro-Guyanese to acknowledge the “silences” in their history, using her research to mend the broken threads of ancestral identity.
The Future of History: AI and Ethical Scholarship
As an educator at the University of Guyana, Dr. Adams also addressed the “digital revolution” currently reshaping academic research. She noted a significant shift in student engagement over the past two years, with many moving away from traditional libraries toward Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools.
Dr. Adams’ Stance on AI in Research:
- Transparency is Key: She emphasizes that while AI is a useful tool, students must be transparent and ethically grounded, ensuring they do not present AI-generated content as original work.
- Innovation through AI: She praised a student project that used AI to create a dynamic interpretation of the 1823 Demerara Rebellion, proving that technology can bring history to life when used responsibly.
- Primary Source Integrity: Despite the ease of digital tools, she advocates maintaining a connection to primary sources—the physical documents and records that remain the “bedrock of truth” in historical study.
The Significance of the Publication
Slavery, Indentureship, and Women’s Labor builds upon Dr. Adams’ award-winning article, “At Work, in Hospital, or in Gaol,” which covered the period of 1838–1917. By extending this research into a full-length publication, she provides a necessary lens through which to view the intersection of gender, race, and the law in the making of modern Guyana.
“We talk about slavery… but we don’t look at the lives and aspects of these people. My goal is to construct nuanced histories that reveal the complexities of identity,” Dr. Adams shared during her interview with Antonio Dey.
