Barbados Sugar-Boiling Kettles
Molten Memories: The Iron Pots of Sugar's Past In 18th-century Barbados, sugar was made in cast-iron syrup kettles, a method later on adopted in the American South. Sugarcane was squashed using wind and animal-powered mills. The extracted juice was boiled, clarified, and evaporated in a series of iron kettles of decreasing size to make crystallized sugar. The Bitter Sweet Economy: Barbados Sugar Economy. Barbados, often called the "Gem of the Caribbean," owes much of its historic prominence to one product: sugar. This golden crop changed the island from a small colonial station into a powerhouse of the worldwide economy during the 17th and 18th centuries. Yet, the sweet success of sugar was built on a foundation of shackled labour, a truth that casts a shadow over its legacy. The Dangerous Labour Behind Sugar In the shadow of Barbados' sun-soaked shores and dynamic greenery lies a darker tale of durability and difficulty-- the harmful labour behind its once-thrivin...