The Bitter Cauldron
Sweetness Forged in Fire: Barbados Sugar-Boiling Legacy In 18th-century Barbados, sugar was made in cast-iron syrup kettles, a method later embraced in the American South. Sugarcane was crushed using wind and animal-powered mills. The extracted juice was boiled, clarified, and vaporized in a series of pots of reducing size to produce crystallized sugar. The Sweet Economy: Barbados Sugar Production. Barbados, typically called the "Gem of the Caribbean," owes much of its historical prominence to one commodity: sugar. This golden crop changed the island from a little colonial outpost into a powerhouse of the international economy throughout the 17th and 18th centuries. Yet, the sweet success of sugar was built on a foundation of oppressed labour, a reality that casts a shadow over its legacy. The Dangerous Labour Behind Sugar In the shadow of Barbados' sun-soaked coasts and lively greenery lies a darker tale of durability and difficulty-- the dangerous ...