Sugar Changed the World

“Part Three: Freedom” (Part 1 Review)

1. What phrase became important in 1716, exactly 60 years before the Declaration of Independence?

The phrase that became important in 1716, exactly 60 years before the Declaration of Independence, was “All me are equal”.

2. What was the connection, the tie, between slavery and freedom? Explain that connection.

The connection, the tie, between slavery and freedom was sugar. In order to create sugar, slaves were needed but at the same time, some Europeans were demanding freedom.

3. What did the Rhode Islanders do on April 7, 1765?

The Rhode Islanders, on April 7, 1765, boarded the Polly and stripped the ship of its barrels of molasses (cargo).

4. The act of the Rhode Islanders is comparable to what other important act in America’s history?

The act of the Rhode Islanders is comparable to the Boston Tea Party, which is another important act in America’s history.

5. What advantage did the Caribbean planters have by leaving their slaves in the hands of men like Thomas Thistlewood?

There are three advantages that the Caribbean planters had by leaving their slaves in the hands of men like Thomas Thistlewood: (1) they were able to live in England; (2) they were able to use their wealth to influence members of Parliament; and (3) they could even run for office.

6. The Americans had no voice in Parliament. What impact did this have on the Americans?

Having no voice in Parliament has the impact of feeling cheated, silenced, and enslaved on the Americans. All they wanted was cheap sugar and to be able to buy it.

7. What was the effect of the Molasses Act?

The Molasses Act stated that an extra 6 cents would be added to the price of every gallon of molasses. If enacted, the effect would be that merchants could never make a profit and also it would cripple the entire North American trade with the sugar islands. The Americans did not follow the act, and instead became better smugglers.

8. Thomas Clarkson won the Latin writing contest. What did he realize after winning it?

After winning the Latin writing contest, Thomas Clarkson realized that every second of every day human lives were being destroyed and he was letting it happen. He changed the course of his life and risked everything to abolish this terrible practice.

9. Who were the abolitionists? What did they create?

The abolitionists were people against slavery. They created the most effective public relations campaign in history, inventing techniques that we use to this day.

10. The English people chose to boycott. What did they do?

Some 400,000 English people stopped buying the sugar that slaves grew and harvested. Instead, they bought loaves of sugar that carried a label that said: “Produced by the labour of FREEMEN”

11. Why did the Parisians storm the Bastille?

The Parisians stormed the Bastille because they wanted to be heard and it was the hated prison where the king locked up anyone he disliked.

12. Explain what human rights versus property rights was about.

Is it best to let the owners set the rules, or have the government set the standards? On one side it was argued that the slaves must be freed. The other side said to change anything would invite revolts and hurt the nation.

13. What is The Age of Revolutions?

The Age of Revolutions was pressing ideas of freedom against the rights of property.

14. What did the French do in the fall of 1791?

In the fall of 1971 the French passed a law making free blacks and people of mixed backgrounds on the sugar islands legally equal to all other Frenchmen.

15. How did the actions that were going on in France affect other countries?

The actions that were going on in France (using the guillotine to kill lords and noblemen) affected the other countries because they used this as a defense. They believed that the same actions would happen in their lands and instilled terror into their people. They did not want to free slaves or give them rights. Ultimately, slavery began to prosper in these other countries.