"Since Columbus landed in the Bahamas 500 years ago, the history of the Caribbean has been marked by European domination and the ongoing struggle of both native and immigrant islanders for political and economic autonomy. Over the centuries, Spain, the Netherlands, France, Britain, and the United States have vied for sovereignty over the islands and their rich resources, and all have left their indelible mark on the peoples and cultures they touched.

Taking this heritage into account, and beginning with the first known Caribbean islanders - the Arawak and the Carib - A Brief History of the Caribbean traces the complex and ever-changing course of events in the region, with in-depth coverage of the social, economic, and political factors that have shaped its history."--BOOK JACKET.