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Sugar and Slaves: The Rise of the Planter Class in the English West Indies, 1624-1713 (Published by the Omohundro Institute of Early American History ... and the University of North Carolina Press) Paperback – May 31, 2000

by Richard S. Dunn (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 42 ratings
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First published by UNC Press in 1972, Sugar and Slaves presents a vivid portrait of English life in the Caribbean more than three centuries ago. Using a host of contemporary primary sources, Richard Dunn traces the development of plantation slave society in the region. He examines sugar production techniques, the vicious character of the slave trade, the problems of adapting English ways to the tropics, and the appalling mortality rates for both blacks and whites that made these colonies the richest, but in human terms the least successful, in English America.

"A masterly analysis of the Caribbean plantation slave society, its lifestyles, ethnic relations, afflictions, and peculiarities.--Journal of Modern History

"A remarkable account of the rise of the planter class in the West Indies. . . . Dunn's [work] is rich social history, based on factual data brought to life by his use of contemporary narrative accounts.--New York Review of Books

"A study of major importance. . . . Dunn not only provides the most solid and precise account ever written of the social development of the British West Indies down to 1713, he also challenges some traditional historical cliches.--American Historical Review
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Previous page
  1. Print length
    392 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Omohundro Institute and UNC Press
  4. Publication date
    May 31, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    6 x 0.87 x 9 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0807811920
  7. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

ÝThis¨ elegantly written book is easily the finest on the subject and a major addition to colonial scholarship.

"Journal of Economic History"

A masterly analysis of the Caribbean plantation slave society, its lifestyles, ethnic relations, afflictions, and peculiarities.

"Journal of Modern History"

Dunn's is rich social history, based on factual data brought to life by his use of contemporary narrative accounts.

Willie Lee Rose, "New York Review of Books"

Professor Dunn has written an excellent book: not only is it informative, it is also readable.

"Business History Review"

"A masterly analysis of the Caribbean plantation slave society, its lifestyles, ethnic relations, afflictions, and peculiarities.

"Journal of Modern History""

"Dunn's is rich social history, based on factual data brought to life by his use of contemporary narrative accounts.

Willie Lee Rose, "New York Review of Books""

"Professor Dunn has written an excellent book: not only is it informative, it is also readable.

"Business History Review""

[This] elegantly written book is easily the finest on the subject and a major addition to colonial scholarship.

"Journal of Economic History"

Dunn's work is a model of contemporary historical research. He writes with admirable clarity.

"London Financial Times"

Review

A study of major importance: the first systematic and extended account of the emergence and character of an elite group for any of the English colonies during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. . . . Dunn not only provides the most solid and precise account ever written of the social development of the British West Indies down to 1713, he also challenges some traditional historical cliches.--Jack P. Greene, American Historical Review

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ 0807848778
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Omohundro Institute and UNC Press (May 31, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 392 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0807811920
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.26 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 0.87 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 42 ratings

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Richard S. Dunn

Richard S. Dunn

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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
4.3 out of 5
42 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

MM Goodwin
5.0 out of 5 stars As I have just done a major research project on ...
Reviewed in the United States on August 4, 2017
Verified Purchase
As I have just done a major research project on the history of slavery here in my county on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, this book has been enormously helpful with the background and connections of the Caribbean slave trade to that of the Chesapeake Bay. I am most thankful for this scholarly work!
3 people found this helpful
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Desert Rat
4.0 out of 5 stars Overlooked Aspect of American History
Reviewed in the United States on December 6, 2016
Verified Purchase
An excellent and informative book. We were all taught in elementary school (in the US, anyway) about the Pilgrims at Plymouth and about the Virginia colony. But before those came Barbados, the Windward Isles and Jamaica. The initial English effort for new world colonies was the Caribbean rather than the mainland to the north. The history of that area is colorful -- pirates, privateers, buccaneers, fast money and early death. In comparison New England and Virginia were cake walks. The social, political and economic development of those islands took a different course from the thirteen colonies best described as as down right brutal. The English who went there didn't come so much to create a new society but to get in, get rich and get out. Life expectancy was low even for those at the top of the social hierarchy. For indentured servants and slaves it was even lower.

And speaking of slaves, the Caribbean was where the English first began using slave to any significant degree. The motivation was sugar. Sugar was the get-rich-quick commodity of the 16thand 17th century. Tobacco, indigo and cotton were also cash crops but the profit margin was lower and it does not appear that utilizing slave vs indentured or free labor had as distinct an economic advantage. If you wanted to get rich fast in 1630-1750 you invested in a sugar plantation (don't forget the byproducts molasses and especially rum) and after the land itself the the most essential asset you had to buy were people.

The author, Dunn, was faced with a major difficulty when writing this book -- there is sparse documentation from the period. Profits more than prosperity drove the early English settlers in islands. Despite this the author has been able to construct a reasonably convincing narrative of the development of the English planter system from inception to maturity by the early 18th century. While little is known about the lives of the English in the time and place even less is known about the slaves. This in itself probably tells you something about the conditions of the slaves.

If the reader is interested in how and why black slavery in the Americas came to be this book is a good place to start. However, many questions will remain open and may never have an answer we can comprehend.
5 people found this helpful
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dltd
5.0 out of 5 stars Well researched, full of good information...
Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2015
Verified Purchase
I bought this to research 17th century Barbados for a novel I'm working on and I thought it was well researched, easy to understand, and full of good information. It was exactly what I needed.
4 people found this helpful
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Purchaser
3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting but beware if you purchase for Kindle
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2016
Verified Purchase
This is a very interesting account of the growth of the sugar industry in the British West Indies. However, if you purchase this for Kindle, be aware that the illustrations and maps have been deleted from the Kindle addition, and replaced with a reference that says to consult the print version to see the illustrations. This is simply unacceptable and should have been disclosed before purchase. So the Kindle edition gets only three stars for an otherwise five star book.
6 people found this helpful
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Donald sutphin
5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect
Reviewed in the United States on November 7, 2019
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Perfect
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Tom Carr
5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding reference for the History of the early settler of the west Indies.
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2013
Verified Purchase
This book is the go to reference for the history of Barbadosand the other islands and has well documented findings. Very interesting read.
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LSV-Shawn
4.0 out of 5 stars Great!
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2014
Verified Purchase
This is a great wealth of knowledge that anyone could ask for when studying Latin American history. Highly recommended.
Note: There is no need to read in order. Fell free to jump around in the book.
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Robin Young
3.0 out of 5 stars Not a riveting read
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2018
Verified Purchase
I didn't learn as much as I hoped. The book was written in 94 I think and is old fashioned. It is a good compilation of statistics, which did tell me a few things, but lacks anecdotes or information filling out the lives of the owners or slaves.
One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

Who Me
5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
Reviewed in Canada on October 18, 2023
Verified Purchase
Should be taught in high school.
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Vicki Thompson
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on October 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
Excellent - Really Pleased - Will use again!!
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Good reading
Reviewed in Canada on July 29, 2021
Verified Purchase
I come from that country and was interested in what the book was about. I know people from plantation owners and friends whose forefathers were slaves and worked on these plantations as well as some of my family who was indentured slaves. My Grandmother grew up on a plantation that had freed slaves that still lived and worked on the plantation. Intistering read.
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Douglas Thrush
2.0 out of 5 stars Literary content is good but I felt ripped off because of the missing ...
Reviewed in Canada on January 12, 2018
Verified Purchase
Kindle version does not contain any of the illustrations and maps. Many of the tables are incomplete. Literary content is good but I felt ripped off because of the missing maps.
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