ABSTRACT
The islands were all handed over to Companies during most of the first century of their existence, and, despite the constant colonial wars, prospered during most of the time until the close of the eighteenth century. At first there was a turn to a so-called free immigration from the continent of Africa, and 50,000 blacks came to the Anciennes Colonies in the seven years after 1852. But the method of recruiting and conditions on arrival showed clearly that this was only the old slavery under a new name, and the system ended in January, 1865. The ferocious battle of classes in the West Indies received a new, almost a sardonical, interpretation after 1870. A decree of December 3 of that year introduced universal suffrage to the Old Colonies and made their Conseils-generaux veritable local Parliaments, with powers far more extensive than their counterparts in France itself.
