1641: Export levels of sugar from the eastern Caribbean became significant during this year, signaling the start of the “sugar revolution” in the region.

1641: Export levels of sugar from the eastern Caribbean became significant during this year, signaling the start of the “sugar revolution” in the region. This economic transformation was characterized by a massive shift toward plantation agriculture and a corresponding increase in the demand for enslaved African labor. The eastern islands, including Barbados and the Leeward Islands, became primary destinations for slaving vessels as they developed into lucrative colonial assets. This period established the foundational link between high-volume commodity production and the systematic importation of forced labor in the West Indies.