Barbados Molten Memories

Boiling Sugar: The Bitter Side of Sweet



The Rise of Sugar in Barbados. Sugarcane cultivation started in Barbados in the early 1640s, when Dutch merchants introduced crop. The island's soil and favourable climate made it an ideal location for harvesting sugar. By the mid-17th century, Barbados had become one of the wealthiest colonies in the British Empire, earning the nickname "Little England."By the mid-17th century, Barbados had turned into one of the most affluent colonies in the British Empire, making the label "Little England." But all was not sweetness in the land of Sugar as we discover next:



The Boiling Process: A Lealthal Task

Making sugar in the days of colonial slavery was  a highly dangerous process. After collecting and crushing the sugarcane, its juice was boiled in huge cast iron kettles till it turned into sugar. These pots, frequently set up in a series called a"" train"" were heated by blazing fires that workers had to stoke continuously. The heat was suffocating, the flames unforgiving and the work unrelenting. Enslaved employees endured long hours, frequently standing close to the inferno, running the risk of burns and fatigue. Splashes of the boiling liquid were not uncommon and could trigger serious, even fatal, injuries.





Honouring the Legacy

By acknowledging the hazardous labour of enslaved Africans, we honour their contributions and sacrifices. Barbados" sugar market, built on their backs, shaped the island's history and economy. As we admire the relics of this period, we should also keep in mind the people whose labour and durability made it possible. Their story is a vital part of comprehending not just the history of Barbados however the wider history of the Caribbean and the international effect of the sugar trade.





HISTORICAL RECORDS!


Abolitionist Voices Expose the Dangers of Sugar Plantations

James Ramsay and other abolitionists accentuated the gruesome conditions in Caribbean sugar plantations. The boiling home, filled with open vats of scalding sugar, was a website of suffering, injury, and even death for enslaved workers.


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The Iron Heart of Barbados' Sugar