Today’s progressing world is being driven by the rapid acceleration of technological advancements. Although this allows us to enjoy more luxurious, financially rewarding lives, we also face increasing competition from other countries as their own technological advances gain momentum. Our involvement in the slave and sugar trade has given us leverage over our competitors in the Eurasian world and has proved to be a major asset in transforming our economy. Acquiring sugar colonies in the Americas aids our goal of empire-building, which, in today’s increasingly globalized world, is vital in preserving our dominant economic role in the worldwide stage. However, many of our fellow British citizens have voiced concerns about our utilization of the …show more content…
transatlantic sugar and slave trade to maintain our worldwide status and economic freedoms, citing the slave’s poor working conditions. While recognizing the humanitarian concerns of slavery, it is crucial that we do not let them infringe upon our economic strength and threaten our position in society. Therefore, as ordinary British citizens, we are advocating for an annually increasing tax on the purchase of slaves, which will address the ethical apprehensions involved with slavery while still allowing the sugar trade to continue to fuel our economy. The trade of sugar and slaves within the Transatlantic Trade route func tions as a major asset to Britain’s economy as the backbone of mercantilism and trade. The sugar-based colonies serve to accumulate more bullion, producing almost exclusively for export to us, the mother country. As Document P describes, we are able to buy “raw materials from the colonies at low prices,” particularly cane sugar. The money generated from processing these raw materials into goods, such as white refined sugar, can then be used to manufacture more goods or pursue the expansion of our empire, thereby continuing a profitable cycle that helps to maintain a favorable balance of trade. In this way, the exportation of goods received from sugar colonies supports a continuing and vital cycle that increases our overall wealth and worldwide power. According to Daniel Littlefield in the Encyclopedia of African-American Culture and History, the use and success of this “mercantilist imperial structure that support[s] the production of tropical staples” depends on the use of slave labor, because it is inexpensive and minimizes the cost of the production of sugar. As Document I describes, sugar production is both capital and labor intensive, working best on a large-scale setting. Furthermore, sugar production supported through the slave trade is a key component to the Transatlantic trade between nations, from which Britain reaps immense economic benefits. Without such a use of slave labor, sugar plantations would be unprofitable and our status as a global trading power would be compromised. Clearly, the complete and immediate abolition of slavery would have a disastrous impact on the economy, and to the British state as a whole. However, currently many British citizens are concerned about the moral issues regarding slavery, and we too, acknowledge the horrific conditions that slaves are kept in. Susan Miller details in the “High Price of Sugar” the wretched difficulties that slaves face, describing how workdays were long and beatings frequent. Many have committed suicide or have died from “accidents, disease, poor diet, hard labor, and mistreatment at the hands of their masters.” It is evident that without a change to the use of slavery for sugar production in its current form, the effort to boycott slave-grown sugar, which has resulted in the decrease of sugar sales thus far, will only grow, deteriorating a primary industry of ours with devastating economic impacts. In order to address and remedy the humanitarian and economic concerns that lie within both abolishing the slave trade or keeping it the way that it is currently, we are proposing to implement an annually increasing tax on the purchase of slaves by plantation owners.
A strategy of slavery reform is being advocated for by William Beckford, a large-scale Jamaican planter, who was at one time the most powerful West Indian planter in England, as described by Document I. Currently, the conditions that slaves must labor in, as Miller describes in “The High Price of Sugar,” are causing a rapid loss of much of the slave population not long after the slaves are even acquired, due to the deaths of many from either the harsh working conditions or from suicide. As historian David Barry Gaspar describes, “Because of the oppressive environment, the slave population [is] not reproducing.” Thus, new shipments of slaves have to constantly be imported from Africa in order to restore the slave population. However, by putting a tax on the sale of slaves, the value of slaves to both plantation and slave ship owners would increase. In order to avoid having to keep buying new slaves at an increased, a plantation owner would be incentivized to minimize slave casualties by improving the working conditions and freedoms of their slaves, such as allowing them a weekly day off or space for their own personal gardens, as described in “The High Price of Sugar.” By increasing the tax at a predetermined but incremental amount each year, sugar plantation owners can work over time towards a decreasing reliance on slave labor, perhaps through innovation of new methods or tools. It will eventually be prohibitive to buy slaves because of the tax, thereby creating an incentive now to plan for such. The slaves would be aware of this as well, potentially increasing their productivity not only because of the improved living conditions, but also because of the knowledge that slavery would eventually become
cost prohibitive. At some point, well into the future, it will be prohibitive to buy slaves because of the tax, thereby creating an incentive now to plan for such. Furthermore, this would would allow the economy to absorb the decline of no-cost labor and sugar, while also creating a path for us to focus more on other industries that will fuel our economic growth and help support mercantilism. In the meantime, improvements in the conditions for slaves will appeal to citizens who would otherwise boycott slave-grown sugar due to concerns over the slaves’ unsafe working conditions. The position of the ordinary British citizen is divided, but our solution prepares for every stance. While some are disgusted by the brutal treatment of slaves, others wish to continue enjoying the benefits provided by sugar. Through our system of annually increasing taxes, we will decrease Britain’s reliance on the slave and sugar trade, thus expanding Britain’s economy into other industries so that any possible loss of sugar consumers is not a crippling factor. Our tax also appeals to those on the humanitarian side by increasing the economic value of slaves, which gives slaves the leverage to be treated better by their owners. If the British people want sugar, the industry is prepared to meet that demand. Whatever the British people decide, our proposed tax will prepare us economically.
Slave labor is the final factor that drove the sugar trade and made it so successful. Slaves were the manual laborers on the plantations, doing the actual harvesting and boiling because the owner wasn’t there to do so (Document 8). Without the slaves working the farm, everything was pretty much useless. There is also a direct correlation between the number of slaves and the tons of sugar produced. This is shown in Document 9, where the island of Jamaica starts out with 45,000 slaves, and produces 4,782 tons of sugar. When the number of slaves increases by less than half to 74,500, the amount of sugar produced is more than tripled at 15, 972 tons. This clearly exhibits how slaves were essential to sugar
In this text, Fitzhugh is giving all the reason why slavery is beneficial to both slave and master economically and physically. He had also made arguments further defending his point by saying that the “free laborers” are worse off than the slaves. In the beginning of the chapter, Fitzhugh explains that slaves are more valuable, therefore the masters would care for them out of their own self-interest in hopes of gaining more profit from them. As opposed to the “free” laborers who are worse off year round because no one cares for their employment for the simple fact that they are not obligated.An example of this was when the English had taken over Jamaica and Ireland. In Jamaica, the Negro slaves had been living “comfortably” and supposedly
One facet of this unique system involved the numerous economic differences between England and the colonies. The English government subscribed to the economic theory of mercantilism, which demanded that the individual subordinate his economic activity to the interests of the state (Text, 49). In order to promote mercantilism in all her colonies, Great Britain passed the Navigation Acts in 1651, which controlled the output of British holdings by subsidizing. Under the Navigation Acts, each holding was assigned a product, and the Crown dictated the quantity to be produced. The West Indies, for example, were assigned sugar production and any other colony exporting sugar would face stiff penalties (Text, 50). This was done in order to ensure the economic prosperity of King Charles II, but it also served to restrict economic freedom. The geographical layout of the American colonies made mercantilism impractical there. The cit...
For the reasons behind the seemingly simultaneous growth of slavery and freedom, he points to a slave force who had become isolated by race and racism, a large group of wealthy, politically minded planters who were extremely loyal to Virginia, and an even larger group of poorer farmers who had become convinced that their interests would be best served by those wealthy plantation barons. Plantations needed labor to grow their tobacco and other crops. African-American slaves proved to be the solution to the labor question. The wealthy Virginians wanted to control the economics of Virginian society. Poor whites realized that it would be better to have relative liberty and go along with the wealthy plantation owners than to be the blood, sweat, and tears behind the wealthy plantation labor. These three components, mixed with the rise of republican ideas, allowed American slavery and American freedom to prosper side by
Between 1800 and 1860 slavery in the American South had become a ‘peculiar institution’ during these times. Although it may have seemed that the worst was over when it came to slavery, it had just begun. The time gap within 1800 and 1860 had slavery at an all time high from what it looks like. As soon as the cotton production had become a long staple trade source it gave more reason for slavery to exist. Varieties of slavery were instituted as well, especially once international slave trading was banned in America after 1808, they had to think of a way to keep it going – which they did. Nonetheless, slavery in the American South had never declined; it may have just come to a halt for a long while, but during this time between 1800 and 1860, it shows it could have been at an all time high.
The abolition of slavery started in 1777. In the North the abolition of slavery was the first to start. But, in the South it started during the 1800’s. The Northern states gave blacks some freedom, unlike the Southern states. The national population was 31,000,000 and four and one-half, were African American. Free african males had some limits with their freedom. There were many political, social, or economic restrictions placed on the freedom of free blacks in the North, but the three most important are, Political and Judicial Rights, Social Freedom, and Economic.
Boxer, C.R. : The Dutch Seaborne Empire (London, 1965). Canny, Nicholas: The Oxford History of the British Empire, Vol I, The Origins of the Empire (New York 1998). Curtin, Philip D: The rise and fall of the plantation complex: Essays in Atlantic history (Cambridge, 1990). Dunn, Richard S.: Sugar and Slaves (North Carolina,1973).
Slavery is the dark past of American history. The sad truth is the land of the brave and the home of the free was built upon the backs of African American slaves who had yet to experience the sweet taste of freedom. Men and women, both struggling to survive under the harsh conditions, the never ending labor and inhumane torture. However, the experience of slavery is far different for women than it was for men. Slave women endured the relentless agony of physical, mental and emotional abuse and exploitation.
When one thinks of slavery, they may consider chains holding captives, beaten into submission, and forced to work indefinitely for no money. The other thing that often comes to mind? Stereotypical African slaves, shipped to America in the seventeenth century. The kind of slavery that was outlawed by the 18th amendment, nearly a century and a half ago. As author of Modern Slavery: The Secret World of 27 Million People, Kevin Bales, states, the stereotypes surrounding slavery often confuse and blur the reality of slavery. Although slavery surely consists of physical chains, beatings, and forced labor, there is much more depth to the issue, making slavery much more complex today than ever before.
Sugar is something we all have some love for. We know it’s not the best for us, but it’s seems impossible to escape in modern times. Because it is in some many things, we consider the value of it to be very low. But there was a time when the demand and price was way higher than the average person could afford. This time was called the Sugar Trade. It lasted from 1655 to 1833. It was a big time in history as many people became rich. But many factors drove it. But in the main, the three factors that drove the Sugar Trade were the brutal forced labor of slaves to harvest and gather the sugar to spread it to Great Britain, the high demand of sugar that Britain needed to keep the
The sugar trade was very beneficial for the economic system in a variety of ways. As the slave created more and more sugar the colonies were able to trade, once they traded they gained more money. The sugar trade was a big demand, if other colonies requested for sugar the colony that has sugar would be handed money and will benefit the economic system. As the skill of slaves improve, the sugar becomes higher quality causing the industry to become more advance. While reading document G it clearly stated, ¨Sugar is now become of general Use in Europe, and the consumption in many parts of Europe increasing¨, Also, ¨Sugar more than any other crop grown in the New World, created and built the slave trade.¨. This is showing their colonie is getting highly advance economically.
Slavery was one of the biggest issues that the world had ever seen. Starting in the early parts of history, slavery had always been a major aspect to life and to the world. WIth the addition to indentured servitude in the nineteenth century and twentieth century, there was a lot of change. Although slavery and indentured servitude are two different concepts, they both kind of are used for the same thing, and both caused different causes and effects the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.
In the Autobiography, “Narrative Life of Fredrick Douglas: An American Slave,” Fredrick Douglas writes to show what the life of a slave is like, because from personal experience, he knows. Fredrick Douglas not only shows how his life has been as a slave but shows what it is like to be on the bottom and be mistreated. Douglas shows that freedom isn’t free, and he took the initiative to become a free man. Not many African-Americans had the opportunity to make themselves free and were forced to live a life of disparity and torture. Through his experience Douglas shows us the psychological effects of slavery. Through Douglas’s memory we are able to relive the moments that continued to haunt his life. Douglas’s book showed the true
“I freed a thousand slaves. I could have freed a thousand more, if only they had known they were slaves.” Harriet Tubman was a woman known for her important role during the time that led up to the Civil War. She was a woman of incredible strength, courage, and determination. And while Harriet Tubman is credited for giving the slaves an option as to what way they shall spend the rest of their life, the sad truth lies within the quote above. While many people like to believe that slavery was a horrendous act that happened only with small minded people from the south many years ago, that isn’t the case in all honesty. In fact, the idea of slavery was highly debated about and troubled more minds than many are led to believe. While there are
The word “slavery” brings back horrific memories of human beings. Bought and sold as property, and dehumanized with the risk and implementation of violence, at times nearly inhumane. The majority of people in the United States assumes and assures that slavery was eliminated during the nineteenth century with the Emancipation Proclamation. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth; rather, slavery and the global slave trade continue to thrive till this day. In fact, it is likely that more individuals are becoming victims of human trafficking across borders against their will compared to the vast number of slaves that we know in earlier times. Slavery is no longer about legal ownership asserted, but instead legal ownership avoided, the thought provoking idea that with old slavery, slaves were maintained, compared to modern day slavery in which slaves are nearly disposable, under the same institutionalized systems in which violence and economic control over the disadvantaged is the common way of life. Modern day slavery is insidious to the public but still detrimental if not more than old American slavery.