Caribbean Economy and Slavery

Flashcards covering key terminology and concepts related to the Caribbean economy and the impact of slavery.

Tobacco

A cash crop introduced to Europe by indigenous people; once the most profitable crop in the Caribbean before the rise of sugar.

Sugar Revolution

The significant shift in Caribbean agriculture from tobacco and other crops to sugar cane, transforming the economy and society.

Monoculture

The agricultural practice of focusing on the cultivation of a single crop, which became central to the Caribbean economy, especially with sugar.

Indentured Servants

Laborers who agreed to work for a certain number of years in exchange for passage to the Americas, but proved inadequate compared to enslaved labor.

Triangular Trade

The transatlantic trade system linking Europe, Africa, and the Americas, involving the exchange of slaves, sugar, and goods.

Barracoons

Enclosures where slaves were held before being sold, often in poor conditions.

Middle Passage

The sea journey undertaken by slave ships from West Africa to the Americas, notorious for its brutal conditions.

Slave Codes

Laws established to define the status of slaves and the rights of masters, often restrictive and oppressive.

Creolization

The blending of African and European cultures resulting in new cultural forms in the Caribbean.

Obeah

A form of folk magic and spirituality with African origins, practiced secretly among enslaved people.