The Bush Hill Sugar Plantation: A West Indies Case Study in Developmental Capitalism

Publication Date

3-1-2020

Document Type

Article

Publication Title

Historical Archaeology

Volume

54

Issue

1

DOI

10.1007/s41636-019-00227-2

First Page

212

Last Page

239

Abstract

The Caribbean frontier was dominated by agro-industrial sugar production. Localized adaptations of European designs for colonization in the Caribbean generated unique plantation landscapes. Before 1650, efforts throughout the region to create wealth from plantations did not achieve the scale of production that unfolded in the latter half of the 17th century as capitalism emerged. While tobacco farms briefly reaped rich rewards, for an adventurous and entrepreneurial few the prosperity of the colonies was ultimately sustained through a combination an increasing and seemingly unlimited demand for sugar, protectionist economic policies from the core state, and institutionalized slavery. A case study of agro-industrialism on the Bush Hill sugar estate on Nevis during the period of capitalism’s ascendancy provides insights on the incremental integration of capitalism into the plantation system.

Funding Sponsor

San José State University

Keywords

capitalism, Caribbean, plantations, slavery, sugar

Department

Anthropology

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