Caribbean Rum A Social And Economic History

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Caribbean Rum: A Social & Economic History
Identified as one of the many critical components in the Triangular Slave Trade and leading cash crops, the history of rum continues to capture the attention of many historians. Caribbean Rum: A Social & Economic History written by Frederick H. Smith, an Anthropologist/ Archeologist and Associate Professor at the College of William and Mary, examines alcohol’s impact on the Caribbean during the seventeenth century and the many forces that has shaped its development in Caribbean societies and cultures to the present day. His book is both a depiction of a political and economic view of rum at times referred to as the “spirit”, distilled from sugarcane and its byproducts. Frederick Smith takes the historical archeology approach toward the forces that made rum a necessity, a staple commodity to colonist and the countries in which they developed. He analyzes central importance for economic development in the Caribbean colonies which became a focal point of political conflict as the colonizing European countries fought one another for domination over the regions and control of the sugar industry.

Rum was one of the most desired commodities, viewed as a cash crop during that time and one of the leading European imports. It came to be a necessity in Europe and dominate economies in the New World colonies under the control of Spain, France, and especially England. (Smith, p.11) The domination of the sugar industry fueled the infamous Triangular Trade, a trading system among three ports that consisted of West Africa, the Caribbean and the American colonies. From the seventeenth century to the nineteenth century the sugar industry played a vital role in increasing the high demand for slave labor...

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...sing its economic importance, and adopted social and cultural trends, which were key determinants in its value, slave trade, globalization and the violent movements which took place.
Overall I enjoyed reading Smith’s historical review, as it was very captivating in its explanation of the rise of the sugar industry and the powerful use of the byproducts that effected so many lives and cultures. Today rum’s wide appeal continues to thrive as one of the leading alcoholic preferences for many however much of its history and culture may have been forgotten as new generations and eras continue to arise. I would recommend this reading to many as it is an embodiment of a diverse and rich culture unfortunately developed from a cruel and dark past. Through its production and great use new cultures and traditions were formed building what we now know as a diverse Caribbean.

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