Cycles of Development on the Plantation Islands
Settlement
The beginnings of settlement on each island involved the brutal work of clearing the tropical woodlands and initial planting of cash crops such as tobacco, indigo, ginger and cotton. As development progressed, the more affluent settlers began construction of mills, boiling houses, distilleries, warehouses and basic shipping facilities. This stage is characterized by an increasing population of both europeans, indentured caucasians and African slave labor. In this stage, plantation acreage is generally low and land is available to would-be planters, as well as those under indenture promised land on their completion of service. Sugar is not yet the dominant crop, But certain planters on most of the islands are beginning to establish sugar plantations on the Brazilian model.
Development and Consolidation
This period characterized by the ascendance of groups of successfull planters able to trade and purchase land either by direct purchase or by indentures with planters in need of cash or unable to profitably survive. This is a very complex period involving political sponsorship and much swapping and trading of acreage. Essentially there is a real estate boom beginning and the value of land is rising rapidly. The relative ability of individual planters to survive bad crops, damage or loss by hurricane and master management of a plantation becomes critical to survival in this competitive environment. The general movement is towards increased acreage in the hands of a relatively few successful or wealthy sugar planters.
Those without money or management skills are gradually reduced to marginal roles in the economy and the supply of indentured europeans willing to serve is dramatically decreased. By this time it is well known in the home countries that a term of service in the indies is equivalent to a death sentence. Others with skills become engaged in trade or artisanry. The predominant source of labor is African. Marginal whites or those unable to acquire land begin to leave for "greener pastures" including the younger sons of established planters. Sugar is beginning to dominate the entire economy.
Exodus
By this stage Land is held by a plantocracy often absentee, and available land is small, infertile, or unprofitable to plant. The merchant and artisan economies are established and the options for new planters without substantial cash backing or political sponsorship are very limited.
The opportunity for unpriveleged whites to profit from work as skilled artisans dimishes due to competition by inexpensive slave craftsmen and women and the european population is dropping rapidly as men seek opportunities in newer or larger islands or join ventures to the mainland colonies. At this point Island Councils become concerned with the alarming decrease in white population and make largely unsuccessfull attempts to encourage small farmers by providing grants of 5-10 acres to those willing to participate in the militias and defense forces. These are the "ten-acre men"....
This is a very rough sketch of the repeating trends in the development of island plantation colonies. Elements of each "stage" often overlapped with an earlier or later stage. In the Indies, war, weather and colonial policies made the real dynamics far more complex and anyone wishing to gain a full understanding should read the many fine books on the subject {see Resources for Study}. The sketch does illustrate some of the forces which influenced movement from island to island and from the islands to mainland colonies.
{cmc 1998}