Intra-Caribbean Diplomacy and Imperial Negotiation; Edward Trelawny, the Marquis de Larnage, and Anglo-French relations in the West Indies, 1720–1748

During the early modern period, concepts of power and authority were heavily contested between rival nations and nascent colonial empires. However, this negotiation was also present in the dealings between colonial officials and agents of the metropolitan government. As well as dealing with each other, the British governor of Jamaica and the French governor of southern Saint Domingue had to constantly negotiate with their superiors in Europe, and with Navy officers sent to enforce the metropoles’ agenda in the region. By analysing the correspondence exchanged between these actors, we can understand how intra-Caribbean diplomacy worked and how specific individuals in the region, could and did influence the outcome of Atlantic conflicts.