Bryan Edwards was a British politician and historian who played a prominent role in shaping public opinion about the West Indies in the late 18th century. His History, Civil and Commercial, is a comprehensive account of the development of the region from the time of Columbus to the late 18th century, and includes detailed descriptions of the social, political, and economic forces that shaped the history of the islands. This book remains an important resource for scholars of Caribbean history and culture. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.