During the 1800 hundreds, the British occupied various parts of the world that included many islands in the Carribean.  Dominica was an important point of the triangular trade, a route by which many were sold into slavery.  Slavery was a part of Dominica during British rule, but the Brown Privilige Bill of 1831 allowed free citizens to take part in the countries govenment.  The Slavery Abolition Act then ended slavery everywhere under British rule, except Inda, because British.

Between these two monumentious changes, the voice of the Dominican people began to be heard, and they held the majority in the Legislative Assembly of Dominica.  Several citizens in neighboring nations saught refuge in the newfound freedom of Dominica.  Because the views of this majority were different from the British planter class, the planters created new legislation to try and sieze control of the house.  Eventually, in 1865, Dominica was handed over to the British Leeward Islands, where the Dominica lost power over their island.
 
This is important because it sets up the events seen in The Day They Burned the Books.  The books being burned by Mrs. Sewyer are a rejection of the identity of progress and education that the British use as a symbol of superioroity.  Mrs. Sewyer who was married to an unplesent husband, and now that she's free, she free's herself of this symbol, despite others wanting to save the books.