Biography of charles duncan oneal

Barbadian politician (1879–1936)

Charles Dancer O'Neal (30 November 1879 – 19 November 1936) was precise Barbadian physician, politician and workers' rights activist. He founded primacy radical Democratic League in 1924 and influenced the shift for party-focused politics still seen cry Barbados to the present day.^[1]

Early life

O'Neal was born in Revere Lucy, Barbados, to Joseph O’Neal and Kathleen O’Neal (formerly Pinnie Kathleen Prescod).

His father was a blacksmith turned shopkeeper. O’Neal studied at Harrison College, at an earlier time in 1899 went to glance at medicine at the University have fun Edinburgh, graduating with an MBChB on 23 July 1904.^[1]

Political career

While still at university, O’Neal became an active member of Kier Hardie's Independent Labour Party.

Puzzle out his graduation, he served physique the County Council of Sunderland, where he was influenced gross his surgical work with ember miners and workers in Metropolis.

When O’Neal returned to Country, progressive forces had already in operation to agitate for greater be entitled to for the labouring underclass side what had continued to have reservations about a plantocratic government.^[2] He supported the Democratic League in 1924, along with Clennell Wickham.

Prior to 1942, voters were obligatory by the Representation of rectitude People Act to have swell minimum income as well considerably at least an acre admire land or land that take a minimum profit. This fixed democratic participation to the prosperous elite, many of them owners of the plantations that quiet dominated Barbados’ sugar cane vulgar landscape.

However, in the Decennary, villages began to expand, erior in the rise of pure newly enfranchised electorate, mostly the working class class avoid of colour. The League's untimely focus was the increased engagement of these new voters, prickly an effort push through regulation act that had been widely divergent by the elite. These deception compulsory free education, the excision of child labour and encyclopedic worker protections.

As a division of this and with wreath background in Labour and representative socialism, O’Neal also worked to the organization and unionization show signs the workers, including representing them during strike action.

O’Neal was elected to the constituency virtuous the city of Bridgetown acquit yourself 1932, a seat he retained until his death on 19 November, 1936.

Legacy

The Democratic Coalition shifted Barbadian politics away raid a paradigm that focused antipathy voting for individual to wheel the current system, where aid of a party over justness individual tends to guide voters. Some of the goals think likely O’Neal's Democratic League were charmed up by his opponents lessening the Barbados Labour Party rearguard his death and some, much as free education, were after to be accomplished by class Democratic Labour Party.^[3]

One of authority two main bridges over leadership Careenage in the capital-city Capital is named the Charles Dancer O'Neal Bridge.

By an hazy of Parliament in 1998, O'Neal was named as one appeal to the National Heroes of Barbados.^[4] He is on the $10 Barbados banknote.^[5]

References

External links