Name: Joshua Gulab Class: Form 4d
Subject: History Date: June 9, 2020
Assignment #2
Examine 4 measures adopted by the planters to solve the problem in the Caribbean
sugar industry between 1838 and 1876
Measures as it related to the labour issue within the British Caribbean
Measure 1 (wage and benefits for ex slaves)
After emancipation of slaves in 1838 the sugar planters of the British West Indies
found themselves in a labour problem. As slaves could no longer be imported as
they used to, the planters depended on the now independent Africans that resided
on the islands, but the Africans preferred to live away from the plantations inorder
to assert their independent status.
So inorder for the planters to get them to continue to work they had to offer
wages and fringe benefits.
These benefits include:
- Wages and hours of work
The demand and supply of the Africans mostly influenced the level of wages, with
smaller territories like Antigua in 1834 having a plentiful supply of Africans
causing the wages and benefits to be as low as 1s per day per African with the
slaves working as much as 9 hours a day with only two breaks five days a week.
While in larger territories like British Guiana with lower supply of Africans the
wages and benefits were as high as 2s per day per slave with slave working only
about 7 and a half hours a day.
- Benefits
Before emancipation planters were responsible for providing food, clothing and
shelter for the slaves but after emancipation this was no longer their obligation.
Unfortunately for the planter, the African labourers still expected this and in most
cases their labour depended on it.
As such cottages and grounds were provided for the labourers throughout the
British West Indies with requirement of rent most dependent of the territory itself.
In places like Antigua by 1839, rent free cottages were offered but the labourer was
legally then contracted to a one year period but if he wanted a shorter period he
would have to sign a written contract.
In additions to cottages Antigua also offered free medical attention.
In larger territories like Trinidad wages and benefits were greatest with labourers
being offered a cottage, flour, fish, grounds and medical attention.
NOTE:
Inorder for the planters to ensure the labourers stayed they most times made them
sign contracts.
This was dreaded by the labourers as it reminded them of slavery but were
essential if they were to secure themselves against eviction.
It can be said that due to the reluctance to sign contracts and the growing desires of
the labourers forced the planters to turn to immigrant labour which could be
contracted.
Measure 2 (Immigrant labour)
After the emancipation the British West Indies found itself in a labour crisis and
was in need of new labour sources.
The British Government was very weary of the establishment of the immigration
scheme for it was trying to encourage other European countries to move away from
slave trade and feared that it may be hypocritical as Humanitarian groups saw
immigration as a new word for slavery.
So in 1838 James Stephen, a humanitarian who drafted the emancipation act of
1833 would appointed to draw up the conditions of the immigration scheme to
ensure no new slave trade.
Planters placed enormous pressure on colonial governments to participate in the
immigrant labour scheme and use public funds as the planters argued that the
increase of production would be a reward itself. In the end the colonial
governments agreed to pay 1/3rd if the planters paid 2/3rds
Note: There were a number of different schemes some going on at the same
time as others
(i) European labour
Between 1834 to 1838 thousands of Scots, Irish and Germans were brought to the
Caribbean and mostly taken to Jamaica to both increase the white population and
serve as labour. Unfortunately due to a lack of immunity to Caribbean diseases
they mostly died with others either seeking other jobs or return to their homes.
Jamaica tried again in 1841 this time with whites from Britain and some also going
to other islands like Antigua and St Kitts but again they mostly died causing the
government there to realize northern Europeans were not the answer.
(ii) Madeirans and Maltese
Madeirans from the Portuguese island of Madeira were attracted to the West Indies
as they would be paid more than the 4 pence per day they were being paid at the
time. They were first privately imported in 1835 but then suspended in 1839 for
issues of morality of the scheme. It then resumed again in 1841 with large numbers
going to British Guiana until suspension again until 1848 but never was large scale
as before. From 1835 to 1848 about 36 000 coming to the Caribbean of which 30
000 to British Guiana and rest to places like Trinidad and Antigua. The Madeirsans
also died mostly due to the Caribbean conditions with the rest especially from
Guiana going to trading
Before 1840 Maltese from Malta also came but due to harsh conditions asked to
return home.
Note: Neither groups could really fulfil labour needed by colonies
(iii) Chinese
The immigration of Chinese last for a very long time but most going to Cuba than
the British Caribbean. After a few attempts by British Guiana in 1860 after the
family immigration scheme started agents were sent to Canton to recruit Chinese
families from rural areas like Fukien and later in 1864 Trinidad joining in and
sharing cost.
The agents did practice immoral convincing practices inorder to get the Chinese to
agree.
Overall the Chinese government was opposed as it hurt the Chinese pride, the
expense to bring Chinese and china not being a colony of Britain all made the
scheme unreliable and unsatisfactory as a permanent labour supply.
From 1852 to 1893 about 12 000 entered British Guiana up to 1879 and nearly
5000 to Jamaica and 2500 to Trinidad.
(iv) Indian
In 1838 the first group of Indians arrived and the importation of them continued till
1917 during this period 416 000 entered British Caribbean mostly to British
Guiana, Trinidad and later Suriname.
They came from areas of Bombay, Calcutta and Madras after signing contracts
ensuring they served the full agreed time
Indians proved to be the most successful mostly because they suited the conditions
and India already being a British Colony.
Measures related to the sale of indebt estates
Measure 3 (Encumbered Act 1854)
By 1830s many planters throughout the British West Indies were being forced to
sell their estates for a fraction of their original cost or leave them to bush if they
did not want to sell.
This was so as the planters were unable to make profit and the plantations
mortgage and debts became overwhelming.
In Jamaica where the sugar production fell by 2/3 in 2 decades after 1833 with
about 500 plantations either sold or abandoned by 1850 with some planters
accepting as little as 1/20 of the estates original value.
This also occurred in British Guiana but on a far smaller scale with the reasons for
abandonment more so labour related and only about 20 estates sold in 10 years.
Note: It was hard finding buyers as the buyers by law would inherit the
estates mortgages and debts.
In 1833 St Lucia however passed laws allowing the colonial government to seize
abandoned estates and sell them without encumbrances.
An encumbrance is a right to, interest in, or legal liability on property that does not
prohibit passing title to the property but that may diminish its value
This appealed to the British Government as an easy way to re-establish abandoned
estates, and so in 1854 the Encumbered Act was passes and colonies could choose
if they wanted to apply the Act.
The act allowed the court authority to divide proceeds to the new owners so they
did not inherit indebted property. Territories like St. Vincent mostly made use of
this act.
However the Act discouraged investments into the sugar industry as no one was
willing to invest in a declining industry with no hope of recovering debt. This
caused the British Government to set up the Royal Commission in 1882 that
recommended the act to be repealed to Individual Act in 1886 but by this time the
damage had already been done.
Measures related to the improvement of sugar production
Measure 4 (Use of centrals)
Throughout the British West Indies planters were held by lack of capital and
inability to attract British capital, this deprived the estates from being able to
purchase new machinery like huge centrals and associated railway systems.
Other territories like Cuba had access to these machinery and by 1850 twenty
Cuban factories were producing the same amount of sugar as 400 factories in
Barbados.
In 1871 the first central was established in Trinidad, by the name of the Usine
Sainte Mandeleine and also in St Lucia in 1874 the Grand Cul de Sac Usine was
also established to try and improve the cost and time of production of sugar to
make the colonies more competitive on the British markets.
It can easily be said that centrals were a 20th century development in the British
West Indies and even then the need for railways to act as feeders prevented many
of the islands from advancing as they were not large enough.
REFERENCE
Dyde, B., Greenwood, R., & Hamber, S. (2008). Emancipation to emigration.
London: Macmillan Education.
Morton-Gittens, D., Dawson, V., Pemberton, R., & Watson, K. S. (2017).
Caribbean history for Csec®. Oxford: Oxford Univesity Press.