NJM Subjects
Scope and Contents note
The Grenada Documents Collection contains copies of some of the documents which were captured on Grenada by the United States Defense Department when the U. S., at the urging of many of the smaller Caribbean nations, joined a rescue mission to end the rule of the Revolutionary Military Council which had taken control of the country when Maurice Bishop, formerly head of the PRG (People's Revolutionary Government), was assassinated along with many of the people at Fort Rupert in October, 1983, as a result of internal factions and power plays in the NJM (New JEWEL Movement) and PRG. The Documents "provide insight into the extensive nature of the nation's bond with Cuba, the Soviet Union...and the growing dissatisfaction of the Grenadian people with its government." [Document Exploitation Interim Report No. 1, 1 Nov 1983]
The copies contained in this collection were given to the Special Collections Division by Gregory Sandford, a State Department diplomat and co-author (with Richard Vigilante) of Grenada: The Untold Story, a fascinating examination of the formation of the New JEWEL Movement, its takeover of power from the Gairy government and the formation of the PRG, its policies, and eventual downfall. Sandford collected this material while researching and writing his book. The collection is arranged in five series : NJM Party Documents Series, NJM Subject Series, International Relations Series, Manuscripts Series, and Gregory Sandford Series.
The audiocassette recordings of interviews conducted by Sandford in April and May 1984 have been digitized. Please contact a staff member for access to these recordings.
Dates
- From the Collection: 1979 - 1988
Conditions Governing Access note
Most manuscripts collections at the Georgetown University Booth Family Center for Special Collections are open to researchers; however, restrictions may apply to some collections. Collections stored off site require a minimum of three days for retrieval. For use of all manuscripts collections, researchers are advised to contact the Booth Family Center for Special Collections in advance of any visit.
Extent
From the Collection: 3.77 Linear Feet (5 boxes)
Language of Materials
English
Container Summary
The second series, NJM Subject Series, comprises 35 folders and contains copies of reports, correspondence, and agreements relating to specific areas such as agriculture, detainees, the economy, and unions. Material in this series often refers to the NJM's specific policies or actions in these areas. This series provides a concise but illuminating look at specific subjects which may be of interest to researchers. The material on health, for example, presents startling contrasts between the official PRG reports of health care and progress in Grenada and copies of TLS by a foreign doctor and Phyllis Coard, a Central Committee member, who descry the situation in the General Hospital, "where services are crumbling, where we have an unnecessary death every week." [Copy of TLS by Dr. Beverly-Mae Fitch Pole, June 28, 1982] The NJM Subject Series is arranged alphabetically.
Repository Details
Part of the Georgetown University Manuscripts Repository
Lauinger Library, 5th Floor
37th and O Streets, N.W.
Washington DC 20057
speccoll@georgetown.edu