The sugar plantation system had a significant impact in the Caribbean and in the rest of the world. There were many social and economic, results that came from the introduction of sugar to the caribbean. Sugar introduced two important relationships, one between sugar and slavery as well as a relationship between the caribbean islands and colonial empires. Slavery fueled the mass production of sugar which was then transported to colonial empires for their financial gain.
The warm, tropical climate of the caribbean along with cheap and abundant labor allowed for the perfect environment to harvest sugar. Sugar is a crop that requires a significant amount of work to reach its final stage compared to other crops. The process includes cutting …show more content…
In the caribbean, some islands benefitted more than others from sugar during certain time periods. The golden age for Barbadoes occurred during the 1650s and 1660s which is they reached their highest profits from sugar. Jamaica became the world’s main producer of sugar during the 1740s where they were producing over 80,000 tons of sugar (Rogonzinski, 1999, 114-15). Cuba was one of the island that benefited the most from sugar, while other island were seeing and economic downfall of sugar, Cuba continued to exceed. The economic downfall of sugar in the caribbean occurred during the 1800s due to increased competition. India, South Africa, and Australia were now able to produce sugar at a lower price due to the increase in labor cost in the caribbean (Knight and Palmer, 1989, 8). The increase in labor cost was a result in the end of the slave trade as well the abolition of slavery. For that reason, the colonial empires began to switch to indentured laborers who came from different areas around the world such as China and …show more content…
Many caribbean islands depended on sugar in order to fuel their economy and once the sugar production fell, so did their economy. Many caribbean island are under developed and lack the economic needs in order to grow their country. This underdevelopment in turn, has various social implications as well. Many caribbean islands depend on countries such as Europe and the United States to provide relief and social needs. The United States, for example, supplies basic needs such as food and clothing to parts of the caribbean most in need. Although this gesture is helpful, what would be most beneficial to the caribbean is using that money to build factories in the islands to produce jobs and boost the economy. It can also be said that the profits these colonial empires realized from the sugar production in the caribbean is what fueled the industrial revolution which allowed for the beginning of their strong economy that is still prominent
The warm, tropical climate of the caribbean along with cheap and abundant labor allowed for the perfect environment to harvest sugar. Sugar is a crop that requires a significant amount of work to reach its final stage compared to other crops. The process includes cutting …show more content…
In the caribbean, some islands benefitted more than others from sugar during certain time periods. The golden age for Barbadoes occurred during the 1650s and 1660s which is they reached their highest profits from sugar. Jamaica became the world’s main producer of sugar during the 1740s where they were producing over 80,000 tons of sugar (Rogonzinski, 1999, 114-15). Cuba was one of the island that benefited the most from sugar, while other island were seeing and economic downfall of sugar, Cuba continued to exceed. The economic downfall of sugar in the caribbean occurred during the 1800s due to increased competition. India, South Africa, and Australia were now able to produce sugar at a lower price due to the increase in labor cost in the caribbean (Knight and Palmer, 1989, 8). The increase in labor cost was a result in the end of the slave trade as well the abolition of slavery. For that reason, the colonial empires began to switch to indentured laborers who came from different areas around the world such as China and …show more content…
Many caribbean islands depended on sugar in order to fuel their economy and once the sugar production fell, so did their economy. Many caribbean island are under developed and lack the economic needs in order to grow their country. This underdevelopment in turn, has various social implications as well. Many caribbean islands depend on countries such as Europe and the United States to provide relief and social needs. The United States, for example, supplies basic needs such as food and clothing to parts of the caribbean most in need. Although this gesture is helpful, what would be most beneficial to the caribbean is using that money to build factories in the islands to produce jobs and boost the economy. It can also be said that the profits these colonial empires realized from the sugar production in the caribbean is what fueled the industrial revolution which allowed for the beginning of their strong economy that is still prominent