This study examines how the Martinican Progressive Party (Parti Progressiste Martiniquais, PPM) sought to convince Martinicans that keeping the relationship with France was the best choice for their country in 1958. Even though Martinicans had experienced continuing racial discrimination and economic hardships since the departmentalization of Martinique in 1946, they again determined to remain a part of France in 1958. While discussions surrounding the 1958 decision evolved differently from those of 1946, scholars have tended to focus on the latter. This was because the 1958 decision seemed to continue the status quo of the 1946 departmentalization. This study argues that PPM advocates’ motivation for voting ‘yes’ to the 1958 referendum came from their nationalist sentiments and economic realism, which the PPM promoted. This study intervenes in the conversations of the French decolonization study, in which historians have argued that establishing independent nation-states was not the only path to decolonization at the time. The Martinican case is especially noteworthy given that Martinicans chose to continue their relationships with France even after their frustrating experiences of twelve years’ departmentalization. Investigating the PPM’s discourse in the 1958 referendum complicates the understanding of how global South countries sought decolonization.
