Overview

"The idea that sugar, plantations, slavery, and capitalism were all present at the birth of the Atlantic world has long dominated scholarly thinking. In nine original essays by a multinational group of top scholars, Tropical Babylons re-evaluates this so-called ""sugar revolution,"" presenting a revisionist examination of the origins of society and economy in the Atlantic world. Focusing on areas colonized by Spain and Portugal, these essays show that despite reliance on common knowledge and technology, there were considerable variations in the way sugar was produced. With studies of Iberia, Madeira and the Canary Islands, Hispaniola, Cuba, Brazil, and Barbados, this volume demonstrates the similarities and differences between plantation colonies, questions the very idea of a sugar revolution, and shows how the specific conditions in each colony influenced the way sugar was produced and the impact of that crop on the formation of ""tropical Babylons"" - multiracial societies of great oppression."

Full Product Details

9780807828755

Table of Contents

Reviews

The handiest volume on the subject of sugar. . . . Well produced. . . . Clear, readable prose. <br> -- Businesss History Review

Breathtaking. . . . Offer[s] stimulating insights. . . . Might produce some stimulating comparative discussion. <br> -- Choice

Author Information

Stuart B. Schwartz is George Burton Adams Professor of History and Master of Ezra Stiles College at Yale University. He is author or editor of several books, including Slaves, Peasants, and Rebels: Reconsidering Brazilian Slavery.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available