tedkassabi

Sweetness Forged in Fire The Bitter Sweet Economy: Barbados Sugar Economy. Barbados, frequently called the "Gem of the Caribbean," owes much of its historical prominence to one commodity: sugar. This golden crop changed the island from a small colonial station into a powerhouse of the international economy throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Yet, the sweet success of sugar was built on a structure of oppressed labour, a reality that casts a shadow over its tradition. Boiling Sugar: A Grueling Task Sugar production in the 17th and 18th centuries was  a highly dangerous procedure. After harvesting and crushing the sugarcane, its juice was boiled in enormous cast iron kettles till it turned into sugar. These pots, often arranged in a series called a"" train"" were heated up by blazing fires that workers had to stoke constantly. The heat was suffocating, and the work unrelenting. Enslaved employees withstood long hours, frequently st...