An examination of the cultural evolution of the Jamaican people after the explosive uprising at Morant Bay in 1865. For the first time, the specific methods used by British imperial legislators to inculcate order, control and identity in the local society are described and analysed. The authors compellingly and convincingly demontrate that Great Britain deliberately built a "new society in Jamaica founded on principles of Victorian Christian morality and British Imperial ideology". This resulted in a sustained attack on everything that was perceived to be of African origin and the glorification of Christian piety, Victorian mores, and a Eurocentric "idealized" family life and social hierarchies. This well-written and meticulously researched book will be invaluable for students of the period and those interested in Jamaican history and/or imperial history

One of the highly commendable aspects of this work is its cosmopolitan inclusion and equitable treatment of all the major ethnic groups that interacted, often in contradictory ways, to contribute to the singular quality of a complex Jamaican culture in the early twentieth century. The book is critical for those interested in the history of Jamaica and the British West Indies and those interested in cultural studies, Afro-American studies and education. -Franklin Knight, Johns Hopkins University; This is an impressive volume, cogently argued, limpid in the clarity of the writing and solidly based on a mastery of a wide range of relevant sources. It is a major contribution to the history of Jamaica, to the cultural history of the Caribbean and to the history of blacks throughout the African diaspora. -Howard Johnson, University of Delaware

Brian L. Moore is Senior Lecturer in History, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. He has published several articles and books including Race, Power and Social Segmentation in Colonial Society and Cultural Power, Resistance and Pluralism: Guyana, 1838-1900. Patrick Bryan is Professor of History, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. His publications include The Jamaican People, 1880-1902 and Philanthropy and Social Welfare in Jamaica. Carl Campbell is Professor of History, University of the West Indies, Mona, Jamaica. Among his many publications are The Young Colonials: A Social History of Education in Trinidad and Tobago, 1834-1919 and Endless Education: Main Currents in the Educational System of Modern Trinidad and Tobago, 1939-1986. B. W. Higman is Professor, History Program, Research School of Social Sciences, Australian National University and a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He is the author of Slave Population and Economy in Jamaica, 1807-1834; Slave Populations of the British Caribbean, 1807-1834; Jamaica Surveyed; Montpelier, Jamaica; and Writing West Indian Histories.