Barbados Sugar’s Unseen History\ Sugar Iron and Fire

The Dark Side of Sugar

In 18th-century Barbados, sugar was made in cast-iron syrup kettles, a technique later adopted in the American South. Sugarcane was crushed using wind and animal-powered mills. The drawn out juice was heated up, clarified, and evaporated in a series of pots of reducing size to produce crystallized sugar.

Barbados Sugar Wealth. Sugarcane growing began in Barbados in the early 1640s, when the Dutch came to help with 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 actually turned into one of the most affluent colonies in the British Empire, making the nickname "Little England." But all was not sweetness in the land of Sugar as we discover next:



Boiling Sugar: A Lealthal Task

Making sugar in the days of colonial slavery was  an unforgiving procedure. After gathering and crushing the sugarcane, its juice was boiled in huge cast iron kettles till it crystallized into sugar. These pots, frequently arranged in a series called a"" train"" were heated by blazing fires that enslaved Africans had to stir constantly. The heat was extreme, , and the work unrelenting. Enslaved workers endured long hours, typically standing near to the inferno, running the risk of burns and exhaustion. Splashes of the boiling liquid were not unusual and might cause severe, even deadly, injuries.







By acknowledging the unsafe labour of enslaved Africans, we honour their contributions and sacrifices. Barbados" sugar market, built on their backs, formed the island's history and economy. As we appreciate the relics of this era, we must likewise keep in mind individuals whose work and durability made it possible. Their story is an important part of comprehending not simply the history of Barbados but the broader history of the Caribbean and the global impact of the sugar trade.



When you see a cast iron sugar-boiling pot in a peaceful cliffs or museum, remember that it is more than an ornamental piece. It is a reminder of the hands that laboured, the lives that withstood, and the resilience that continues to influence.


HISTORICAL RECORDS!


Abolitionist Voices Expose the Hazards of Sugar Plantations

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


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Boiling Sugar: The Bitter Side of Sweet |The Hidden Side of Sugar: |Sweetness Forged in Fire |
Molten Memories: The Iron Kettles of Sugar |

Barbados Sugar’s Unseen History