Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Charles R. Foy Review Of Michael J. Jarvis, “In The Eye Of All Trade: Bermuda, Bermudians, And The Maritime Atlantic World,” In Common-Place 10:4 (July 2010) (Www.Common-Place.Org)., Charles R. Foy

Faculty Research & Creative Activity

In his comprehensive study of colonial Bermuda Jarvis places Bermuda in "the eye of trade," i.e., the center of the Anglo-American Atlantic. He proceeds to use this new perspective to explore six key characteristics of Bermudian life: its transition from a tobacco society to a maritime society; the island’s unique system of slavery; the emphasis placed on kinship connections and communal activities; Bermudian exploitation of the Atlantic’s natural resources; the effect of Bermuda’s maritime economy on its residents; and the impact of the American Revolution on Bermudian society. With their maritime skills, unique slave system and extensive kinship connections Bermudians …