Essay On The Americas And The Columbian Exchange

Over the centuries, the Eastern and Western hemispheres had evolved into separate worlds biologically. When Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Americas and the Columbian Exchange began, these two worlds collided in a way that irrevocably changed both (Crosby para. 1-3). Organisms and products traveled between Europe, Africa, Asia, and the Americas like they had not before. One of the plants that was traded during this time was sugar. The introduction of sugar into the New World led to the creation of the plantation system, the introduction of the African slave trade in the Americas, and the availability of sugar to the masses, changing the diets of millions.

Sugarcane was first domesticated in New Guinea around 10,000 years ago. The

people of New Guinea chewed on the stem of the sugarcane to release its sweet flavor. Sugar was believed to have medicinal qualities, and it was very important in the lives of the ancient New Guineans. Sugar was also very important in their culture, especially folklore and legends. Sugar also had its place in religious ceremonies. Over the years, sugar spread from island to island until it reached the mainland of Asia (Cohen para.7-8). Around 350 BC, sugar spread to India, where it was considered sacred and used to treat a variety of ailments, including headache and gastrointestinal issues. Around 8 AD, Islamic traders began to distribute sugar throughout the Middle East. Soon, sugar production spread to the Mediterranean, which would be the main sugar producer for centuries (Cohen para. 8; Boyer para.2). Europeans first fell head over heels for sugar during the Crusades. While they were in the Middle East, they were exposed to the sweetness of sugar, and they began to crave it. Unfortunately, sugar was scarce and very expensive (Cohen para.10; Pringle para.1). Sugar grows well in hot, humid climates, which ruled out much of Europe. Also, the process of making sugar required burning large amounts of wood to create boiling vats. This quantity of wood was not available cheaply in Europe. Because of this, sugar was hard to come by, and the typical person could only afford to purchase a teaspoon of sugar per year (Pringle para.1-2)
In 1492, when Christopher Columbus stumbled upon the New World, it occurred to him that it would likely be a good place to grow sugar.

Needless to say, when he reported this prospect back to Spain, they were excited (McNeil para.6). Though Spain and Portugal had islands off the coast of Africa where they had established plantations to grow sugar, they were looking to expand (Boyer para. 4). On his second voyage, he brought sugarcane with him to Hispaniola. At first, Spanish sugar production in the New World did not go well. Native Americans were being used as the source of labor, but the poor conditions and epidemics of disease caused them to die out quickly (Crouthamel para 2-3). The Spanish were more focused on finding gold than managing sugar plantations, and they lacked the efficient mills needed to profitably produce sugar. In 1515, Gonzalo de Vellosa, a sugar planter, was encouraged by sugar growers from the Canary Islands to import a better sugar mill to the New World. Powered by animals, this mill had two rollers that crushed the sugar cane. This allowed Spain to produce sugar more efficiently. Because they could now produce sugar, the Spanish needed to find a solution to their labor problem. Since the native people had died in such large numbers, the Spanish turned to African slaves (Boyer para.5). Sugar plantations were some of the largest ever with hundreds of slaves. In fact, the African slave trade grew so large that by 1888, 9.5 million Africans were slaves in the Americas (Crouthamel para.3). These plantations were single crop plantations, meaning they only produced sugar, and since they had very few labor costs, they were very profitable. This plantation system set the standard for the tobacco and cotton plantations that came later (Boyer para.1). This plantation system allowed for the production of sugar to become a very inexpensive process, which allowed sugar to become widely available and affordable to millions. Sugar became a European

household staple. Because of this widespread demand for sugar that emerged, sugar production became the heart of the economy in many Caribbean islands (McNeil para.6).
In the Americas sugar played a significant role in sustaining the African slave trade and establishing the plantation system. As a result, sugar became available to millions around the world. Today, Americans and Europeans are the main sugar consumers, consuming more than 120 pounds per person annually (Crouthamel para.5). Sugar, once prized and coveted by so many, is present in almost everything that we eat and drink today, and we take it for granted. Though the history of sugar production is not all that pleasant, life without it would be a lot less sweet.