The Iron Kettles of Sugar

Molten Memories: The Iron Trains of Sugar

In 18th-century Barbados, cane sugar was made in cast-iron syrup kettles, a technique later adopted in the American South. Sugarcane was crushed using wind and animal-powered mills. The extracted juice was warmed, clarified, and vaporized in a series of cast-iron pots of reducing size to produce crystallized sugar.

The Rise of Barbados Sugar Wealth. Sugarcane cultivation started in Barbados in the early 1640s, when Dutch merchants introduced sugar cane harvesting. By the mid-17th century, Barbados had actually become one of the wealthiest colonies in the British Empire, earning the nickname "Little England." But all was not sweetness in the land of Sugar as we discover next:



The Boiling Process: A Grueling Task

Making sugar in the days of colonial slavery was  an unforgiving procedure. After harvesting and squashing the sugarcane, its juice was boiled in massive cast iron kettles till it turned into sugar. These pots, typically arranged in a series called a"" train"" were warmed by blazing fires that enslaved Africans needed to stir continuously. The heat was extreme, the flames unforgiving and the work unrelenting. Enslaved employees endured long hours, frequently standing near to the inferno, risking burns and fatigue. Splashes of the boiling liquid were not unusual and might cause serious, even deadly, injuries.

Living in Peril

The risks were ever present for the enslaved employees charged with working these kettles. They worked in intense heat, breathing in dangerous gases from the boiling sugar and burning fuel. The work demanded extreme physical effort and accuracy; a minute of negligence might lead to mishaps. In spite of these difficulties, enslaved Africans brought impressive ability and resourcefulness to the process, guaranteeing the quality of the end product. This item fueled economies far beyond Barbados" coasts.





By acknowledging the hazardous labour of enslaved Africans, we honour their contributions and sacrifices. Barbados" sugar industry, built on their backs, shaped the island's history and economy. As we admire the antiques of this age, we must also keep in mind individuals whose labour and durability made it possible. Their story is a vital part of comprehending not just the history of Barbados but the more comprehensive history of the Caribbean and the international effect of the sugar trade.





HISTORICAL RECORDS!


 Abolitionist Accounts Expose The Hotrrors of Boiling Sugar
 
Abolitionist works, including James Ramsay's works, expose the callous threats shackled staff members handled in Caribbean sugar plantations. The boiling home, with its enormous open vats of scalding sugar, became a location of unimaginable suffering and fatal accidents.



Boiling Sugar: The Bitter Side of Sweet - Click the link for More

The Iron Kettles of Sugar