The seventeenth-century ‘Sugar Revolution’ refers to the dramatic expansion of sugar production in the Caribbean, particularly in colonies such as Barbados and Jamaica.
This revolution was fueled by the increasing demand for sugar in Europe and the profitability of sugar plantations.
It led to a fundamental transformation of the region’s economy, society, and labor systems. Large-scale sugar cultivation required vast land holdings and intensive labor, leading to the establishment of plantation economies based on enslaved African labor.
The Sugar Revolution shaped the Caribbean’s history, with profound economic, social, and cultural consequences that persist to this day.