Publications
Learning from emancipation: The Port Royal Experiment and transition theory
Transition studies, while offering valuable insights into sustainable change, lacks critical engagement with spatial and political dimensions. This study addresses these gaps by examining the Port Royal 'Free Labor' emancipation experiments during the U.S. Civil War. It demonstrates how integrating political ecology—a critical and spatially aware approach—enhances transition theory's understanding of sustainable pathways. The research highlights the importance of place-based analysis in transition studies, offering a nuanced perspective on historical transitions that could inform future sustainability efforts.
"A 'Bon François' Desirous of the Glory of the King": Intra-Catholic Anti-Jesuitism and the Collapse of the Port Royal Mission, 1610-1613
The collapse of the Jesuit mission to Port Royal, Acadia, in 1613 was not merely a local failure but a reflection of broader intra-Catholic tensions rooted in European debates over Catholicism and the Reformation. Jean de Poutrincourt's anonymous Factum alleged that Jesuits Pierre Biard and Enemond Massé conspired against France, though these claims were factually inaccurate. The study reveals how anti-Jesuit sentiment, prevalent in post-Wars of Religion France, crossed the Atlantic, shaping early colonial dynamics in New France. This analysis highlights the transatlantic transfer of religious conflicts, offering a nuanced understanding of the mission's downfall and its implications for colonial history.
A Reluctant Engagement: Alliances and Social Networks in Early-18th-Century Kespukwitk and Port Royal
Early-18th-century Kespukwitk and Port Royal were connected by complex social networks characterized by reluctant alliances, shaped by political, economic, and cultural dynamics. This study reveals that while interactions between these communities were frequent, they were often marked by tension, reflecting broader colonial pressures and competing interests. The research employs a mixed-methods approach, analyzing archival records, oral histories, and archaeological data to reconstruct social relationships and power structures. Findings highlight the fluidity of alliances in this period, challenging traditional narratives of cooperation or conflict between Indigenous Mi'kmaq communities and European settlers.
Port Royal
Early English settlement policies in Jamaica aimed to establish patriarchal households, but the colony's entrepreneurial focus and lax enforcement of sexual behavior led to a diverse group of women—including wives, widows, indentured servants, and prisoners—seizing economic opportunities. These women played pivotal roles in turning Port Royal into a hub for both licit and illicit trade, while also investing in Atlantic slavery, thereby ensuring the participation of future generations of female islanders in slaveholding.
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