DBQ Essay – What Drove the Sugar Trade? Beginning in the late 1600s and continuing through the 1700s the demand for sugar became incredibly high due to its addictive qualities. To supply the consumers with sugar they were craving, wealthy Europeans established sugar plantations throughout the Caribbean and built a thriving slave industry, so their need for cheap labor could be satisfied. Sugar consumption increased from 4.6lbs to 16.2lbs per capita annually from 1700 to 1770 due to the increasing addiction of the consumers.
The sugar trade grew to be very important, very quick. Everybody wanted sugar. Many factors drove the sugar trade. It was influenced by trade philosophy, consumer demand, and economics. One factor that drove the sugar trade was because trade philosophy.
Document 7 mentions that Europe had to compete with it’s neighbors when voyaging across the globe, and even before they started to expand. This could have motivated European countries to explore faster and beat out other countries. As a whole, Europe had a desire for power, which it could gain by exploring (Document 7). When the Spanish came to Mexico and South America, they spread smallpox. This lead to the death of Huanya Capac, the Incan leader, which in turn set of many wars of succession.
In the 1500’s and 1600’s, Europe dived into an era of exploration of new trade routes. Exploration carried out by explorers like Cortes, Diaz and Da Gama led Europe into new lands. The main motivations of these explorers were to gather spices and gold. Their countries were infatuated with the spices of Asia and with precious metals. Religion was not the main motivation for European exploration during the 15th and 16th centuries; however, the search for wealth was.
Europe also showed population growth. Specifically, maize was traded in and to China, and the white potato was traded in and to Ireland. Christianity had also spread to the New World . Silver and Sugar were the two key products of the Columbian
Sugar – a “sweet spice” that changed the eating habits of many early Europeans. Led to consumption of tea, coffee, cocoa, processed foods, and other sweet victuals in much greater number. Transformed labor systems in the new world which began turning it into a much cheaper bulk commodity.
The high demand for sugar was increasing more and more every day. Between 1700 and 1770, the amount of sugar produced and consumed quadrupled. Sugar is often added into other imports, such as tea, coffee and chocolate. These three things have something in common that is a big factor in the demand for sugar. They are all stimulants.
Different causes resulted in the European Age of Exploration such as a foe, solitude, and a more open minded mentality. The Age of Exploration also took great impact on the European Golden Age (Renaissance). The Renaissance was a time of advancement. One cause of the European Age of Exploration was because of the Ottomans, they were menacing fighters who showed no fear. The Ottomans destroyed Constantinople and controlled big trade routes.
Sugar originated from the Old World, but it was immediately clear to the Europeans that sugar was much better suited for cultivation in the New World. However, sugar cane had much more value then originally thought. When looking at the basic economic structure of supply and demand, it is clear that the immensely improved cultivation and efficiency of sugar production drove production up and price down, leading to more demand at a lower value. The improved efficiency of sugar production opened up a new market and a completely different demographic. However, this improved efficiency didn’t occur until about 1519 during King Charles V rule.
By the end of the 1400s, many European ships left Europe to explore the world. This exploration could have been initiated by various events that occurred previously. Starting with the first event, the Black Death, in the 1300s, which caused the decline of the feudal system and lead to the rise of the Renaissance era, a period of time when people were craving for more knowledge in topics such as philosophy, anatomy, geography, etc. It was throughout this Renaissance period and because of new inventions such as the printing press that could have caused people to want to explore and expand their knowledge about the geography of the earth. But also, it could have been, “[…] the idea of getting richer that originally got the European’s interest
The sugar trade, which began in the 16th century and lasted until the 19th century, was also considered a “triangle trade" that brought tremendous wealth and power to European colonizers and their respective nations. The trade, which involved the production and transportation of sugar from colonies in the Caribbean and South America to Europe, was driven by several factors, including the growing demand for sugar in Europe, an increase in population, and mercantilism. One of the primary factors that drove the sugar trade was the growing demand for sugar in Europe. Sugar was considered a luxury item in medieval Europe since it brought the great taste to the people.
The silver and gold of the new world were shipped to Europe treasuries and foods and goods from the new world (America) and Africa increased how long the people in Europe lived (increased life expectancy because the food
The wealth in Western Europe reached an all time high because of this crucial event. Waves of raw goods coming from the New World into the Old World are the foundation
Some states thrived under the trade, while others economically deteriorated so drastically that they continue to suffer today. Despite the consequences, the trade connected the world closer than ever before. A main reason why Europeans colonized the New World with such swiftness and determination lay in the drinks of nobles and the soil of peasants. Sugar was in high demand during the 1500s and 1600s, and the fertile coasts of the Carribean and Brazil made for a perfect environment. Sugar cane was just the tip of the iceberg: Europeans soon discovered crops native to the Americas that heavily impacted world economy, a prime example being the potato.
In today’s society, many people are living below the poverty line. For years people have been working numerous hours and still can’t climb above the poverty level. The working poor and the poor classifies as being the same. The working poor is people that work and can maintain their household, but still, fall below the poverty line. The poor are individuals who struggle with finding steady employment and sometimes find themselves homeless.
