Department of History

Towards the late 19th century, heightened patterns of exchange and interaction emerged between socialists across the world. The ideal of international solidarity, which had become increasingly important for socialists, attracted a wide variety of radicals from a wide variety of regions. Where historical scholarship has often treated socialism as, with Talbot Imlay, a “European phenomenon,” this presentation demonstrates how the socialist framework of international solidarity was adopted and adapted by diverse movements across the Atlantic. The presentation reframes the Dutch Caribbean island of Curaçao as a node in vivid transatlantic interactions between socialists and radicals. Using digital relational interface Nodegoat to visualize and map these interactions, the presentation shows how global exchanges that were made possible by the island’s connection to maritime networks encouraged Curaçaoan radicals to engage with the idea of international solidarity. Doing so allowed them to link their struggles to a broader cause, and to put new forms of solidarity into practice at harbor strikes, revolts and anticolonial campaigns. Synthesizing digital visualization and distant reading tools with non-digital archival research, this presentation brings these underexposed but influential Caribbean histories of emancipation into view. These render visible the rich history of transatlantic exchange on Curaçao, an island commonly framed as “isolated” in scholarship. By uncovering forgotten conceptions of international solidarity, the presentation furthermore invites vital discussions on formulating an international solidarity fit to tackle today’s increasingly global challenges.