Form 4 History Theme 2: Caribbean Economy and Slavery

THE SUGAR REVOLUTION AND THE CHANGE OVER FROM TOBACCO TO SUGAR CANE
CULTIVATION.
THE SUGAR REVOLUTION
DEFINITION

The Sugar Revolution is used to describe the change from the cultivation of tobacco to the cultivation of
sugar cane. This change in the main export commodity of English and French colonies in the mid-
seventeenth century (1640) was facilitated by the Dutch. As a result of the move from tobacco to sugar
the Caribbean experienced changes to its economy, society and government.

REASONS FOR THE CHANGE

Originally tobacco was cultivated by English and French colonists because of the following advantages:

 It was not perishable once its leaves were cured

 Tobacco was easily stored in small packages for export
 It was easy to grow, the landowner and family, with a few labourers could grow tobacco
 Tobacco did not require large investments of capital, buildings nor equipment
 Smoking was fashionable among the aristocracy in Europe so there was a high demand

By the mid-17th century, the Caribbean tobacco industry experienced competition from Virginia tobacco.
This resulted in a glut in the European market and prices for tobacco dropped. This meant less demand
for low quality Caribbean tobacco, landowners looked for an alternative.

The cultivation of sugar cane was influenced by a number of factors

 Sugar was in high demand in Europe

o More urban workers were drinking tea and coffee
o Sugar was a cheaper alternative to honey
o Sugar was needed to make cakes and confectionary
 Sugar was non-perishable, not bulky and easily transported in barrels.
 Dutch traders instructed English colonists in Barbados on the cultivation of sugar cane and
manufacture of sugar.
 The Dutch provided large numbers of enslaved African labourers
 In the mid- to late- 1600s the price for sugar was high, making it profitable
 Dutch traders also provided capital and markets for the sugar produced in English and later
French colonies

The difference between sugar cane and tobacco production was that sugar was labour-intensive and
required a large acreage to be profitable. This called for more land to be cultivated and a drastic
increase in the nature and number of the labour force. Together this led to many economic, social and
political changes within the Caribbean.

The role of the Dutch

The Dutch had seized Brazil and were eventually removed in the 1640s. It was on the coast of Brazil that
the experimented with large-scale sugar cane cultivation using African labour. The Dutch provided
capital, expertise, credit and plantation goods and machinery, enslaves labour, shipping and markets so
the Barbados colonists could get their sugar industry under way. When the Dutch were eventually
expelled by 1700, British and French entrepreneurs and companies replaced them.
THE SUGAR REVOLUTION: AN EXAMINATION OF THE VARIOUS CHANGES WHICH CAME TO
THE CARIBBEAN WITH THE INTRODUCTION OF SUGAR PRODUCTION

Economic Changes – Most changes were economic in nature

New forms of land tenure – Tobacco grew on small estates of 2-12 hectares (1 h. = 2.5 acre). Sugar cane
required much larger acreage to be profitable (60-200h.) in Barbados. In Jamaica large plantations got to
2000h.

Less total landholders - Many tobacco estates were bought up by sugar Planters leading to less overall
plantations but more land under cultivation. In Barbados in 1645 there were 12,000 tobacco estates; by
1660 there were about 300 sugar estates.

Increase in land prices – the profit potential and high demand led to increase in land prices in Barbados
from £6 p.h. to £80 p.h. by 1650.

Increase in capital investment required – Only wealthy people could become Planters as it required
credit, machinery, land, labour, factory buildings etc.

New agricultural practices – Monoculture i.e. the production of only sugar cane replaced the variety of
crops which were cultivated alongside tobacco. All arable lands were devoted to canes. Barbados
became entirely reliant on imported foodstuffs from North America. Jamaica not so much.

Labour force – After 1640, the demand for labour grew beyond what could be supplied by indigenous
labour and white bondservants. The main source of labour for sugar cane plantations was West Africans
who were captured and supplied by Dutch merchants.

Triangular Slave Trade – to supply adequate amounts of labour to estates and get sugar to Europe the
Triangular Trade was created. First by Dutch traders then British and French traders were also involved
in this trade.

Huge profits – 1640s to 1670s sugar prices in Europe reached their peak and Barbadian Planters became
extremely wealthy.

Social changes – The change to sugar production brought changes in the labour force and thus the
size and composition of colonial society.

Population size – As many enslaved African labourers were imported to provide labour to sugar
plantations, the population increased greatly. Between 1650 and 1700 over 400,000 Africans were
brought into the English and French colonies compared to 23,000 before 1650.

Population composition - There was a marked decline in the White population in Barbados from a ratio
of 30 whites to 1 black person in 1639; to 1 white to 3 blacks by 1660. Many white bond servants and
smallholders had left the Caribbean.

Population structure – Colonial society adopted a pyramid shape. Whites dominated society and politics
and the enslaved Africans were at the base of the hierarchy.

Absenteeism – White plantation owners returned to Europe or only visited estates. When sugar was
very profitable many Absentee Planters owned multiple estates and hired attorneys to manage them.

Political Changes - Many changes took place after sugar cultivation began and proved to be
successful.

Old Representative System replaced Proprietary Government - In the English colonies a new form of
government was introduced which gave control of colonies back to the Crown. The Proprietary
Government was discontinued and instead the Crown appointed governors and officials to administer
colonies. Assemblies (mostly planters and merchants) were elected to make local and tax laws.

New Laws were introduced – Laws to regulate society eg. Deficiency Acts, Slave Codes and various laws
related to the Navigation Acts were introduced as a result of the Sugar Revolution.

West India Interest – Many Absentee Planters became influential in Britain and formed a lobby group
affecting British West Indian policy up to the early 1800s.
Questions

1. Give three reasons for the change from tobacco to sugar production.

2. Copy and compete the table below to make a comparison between tobacco and sugar production.

Tobacco Production Sugar Production

Land

Labour

Capital

Social Structure

Population size

Population Structure