The Portuguese and the Dutch were at war over the mainland South American colony Brazil from 1624 to 1654. The war raged on until the Dutch realized they were outmatched retreated to the Lesser Antilles as refugees, bringing with them their expertise in Sugar Production. On arrival they introduce Sugar cane, sparking what is now know today as the ‘Sugar Revolution’. The Dutch were easily the greatest traders in the region at the time, therefore with the introduction of sugar cane, as it was a bulky crop, would provide the Dutch with extensive revenue since they would be in charge of the shipping and sale of the processed sugar on arrival in Europe. The Dutch supplied the prospective farmers with advice, capital, knowledge and apparatus of sugar production. In this way the Dutch were foster fathers of the movement. The ‘ Sugar Revolution’ began in the Eastern Caribbean around 1640, specifically starting from the British colony of Barbados. The sugar is defined as the changeover from the then chief crop tobacco to sugar cane and all the effects that came with it. The term ‘revolution‘ means a drastic or complete overhaul or change, this directly speaks to the Sugar Revolution as it included dynamic changes in economic and political situations and social aspects of life in the lesser Antilles, as evidenced by changes in the cost of landholdings, social stratification, Absenteeism and Monoculture upon many others. Since the term revolution has been clarified, it can be said that the Greater Antilles did not experience a true revolution as sugar cane was planted alongside other crops such as indigo, cotton and tobacco as in the case of Jamaica.
