Slaves and Sugar: ‘Black Gold’ and ‘White Gold’ of Mauritius’ Economy
In the 18th and 19th centuries, sugar was considered the ‘white gold’ in the commercial arenas of the world, but it was accrued by the scourge of ‘black gold’ – slave labor. The tiny green emerald island of Mauritius in the Indian Ocean managed to establish itself as a major supplier to the global demand for a luxury commodity - sugar. The early history of the cultivation of sugar in Mauritius is fraught with calamities, disasters and terrible human rights exploitation and torture, but the backbreaking labor of the slaves was not in vain for it formed the backbone of the economy of the island. The slaves’ labor left a legacy that led to the island’s independence and the status as the best growing economy in Africa.
Traité fardement confitures of Nostradamus (1555) (Public Domain)
