Sugar in British Politics n the mid-eighteenth century West Indian sugar was the most profitable resource in the British Empire, with small islands like Jamaica and Barbados generating huge revenues. Planta- tion owners were not the only beneficiaries, as France. The letter was published anonymously, meaning that the publisher was most likely try- ing to influence public opinion against a rise in the sugar tax, which the author warns would do more harm than good. His argument shows how closely sugar had become tied up with British economic, political, and military policies by the mid-eighteenth century. we see in this Letter to a Member of Parliament from 1745. The question had to do with how much the British government should tax sugar at the point of its arrival in England, that is, how high the "duty" should be. The huge profits that the sugar industry generated made a tempting target for a government trying to raise revenue to fight its increasingly expensive wars with Source: A Letter to a Mermber of Parkament, Conceming the Importance of our Sugar-Colonies to Great Britain, by a Gentleman, who resided many Years in the Island of Jamaica (London: J. Taylor, 1745). Spaling modernized. From A Letter to a Member of Parliament, Concerning the Importance of our Sugar-Colonies In the first place, I will endeavor to convince you, that whatever additional duty shall be lald on sugar, it will be at the cost of the sugar planter.... Secondly, I shall show, that such an additional duty will be an oppression and dis- couragement and an unequal load upon our sugar colonies at this juncture especlally, and will render abortive the very scheme itself which is intended by it, of advancing the revenue. And, Thirdly, I shall set forth the great advan- tages that this nation receives from the sugar colonles, and especially from the island of Jamalca, and the great advantages that it will continue to recelve, if due encouragement be given to the sugar planter.... Now the case of the sugar planter is, that heis at a prodigious distance from the market ... and being already in debt, as the great- est number of the sugar planters are, and having already established his sugar works ... he must be ruined if those are not kept employed.... We have no forelgn market worth notice, but Holland and Hamburg, and... the Dutch will buy the French sugar, at the French col- onles at a low price, and carry it securely to Holland in their own ships. And it is well known that the French at their colonies can and do sell their sugar much cheaper than we can in our colonies, because they have better sugar land in their islands, and nearer the seaside than we have.... [T]he sugar planter is [now] at a vast deal greater expense to make sugar.... His Negro slaves... were sold at Jamaica at £35 per head [but now cost] £50 per head. ... The sugar planter pays double the freight for his sugar home than he did before... and double the frelght out for all his utensils for making sugar, and all his furniture for his house use and family, and slaves.... [U]nless the price of sugar here at market do advance very considerably, the sugar planter can't go on, but will be ruined. If the planter, to all his other advanced charges, hath a further duty laid upon his commod- Ity, he will be disabled from purchasing every year a fresh supply of Negroes, mules, and cattle; and as his present stock drops off, he will disabled from making the quantity of sugar he does at present... by which means the scheme for raising more money upon that commodity, by advancing the duty, will be rendered abortive.... The principal charge which the sugar planter is at, to ralse and carry on his work, is Negroes; and those are purchased in Africa by the English merchants, chlefly with the pro- duce and manufactures of this nation, such as woolen goods. ... At the same time that they are purchasing the Negroes on the coast of Africa, with those cargoes of British manufac- tures, they purchase also a great deal of gold, elephants' teeth, and some very valuable dying woods.... For strength to carry on his sugar work, next to the negroes, the planter must be furnished with mules, cattle, horses, etc. Of cattle the most part are raised in the colonies; some horses are raised in the colonies and some are supplied from North America. ... [His equipment]... will cost him at least 500 pounds. Add to this, the great quantity of nails, locks, hinges, bolts, and other sorts of iron ware; and lead that he must have for his buildings. And for his fleld work he must have great quantities of bills, hoes, axes, iron chains; also gear for his mill and his cattle... and all this of English manufacture.... Besides this extraordinary expense...he must have a house to live in, and furniture, and clothes, and other necessaries for himself and family, servants and slaves. To build his house he must have materials from England ... and his furniture and clothing entirely from England.... And for their food, they have a great deal, as cheese, bacon, pickles, some flour and bis- cults, when cheap, and beer, ale and cider, in great quantities from England; salted beef and butter from Ireland; and salted fish, flour, bs- cuits and sundry other kinds of provisions for their negroes from North America. There are in the island of Jamaica only, a hundred thousand negros, a few more or less; every one of these... do make use of the value of twenty shillings a year, in goods from England. In dothing they make use of a vast quantity of Manchester goods... and many other Implements, all of British manufacture. I believe ... 1t amounts to a hundred thousand pounds a year in British manufactures, consumed by the negros in Jamalca only. And now, Str, if you'll be pleased to take a view of the whole process of the sugar man- ufacture, from the beginning to the time of delivering the commodity into the hands of the consumer; that is to say, from purchas- ing the negroes on the coast of Africa, and transporting them to the West Indies... I am sure that you will be amazed to consider, what a prodigtous number of ships, of sallors, of merchants, of tradesmen, manufacturers, mechanics, and laborers, are continually em- ployed, and reap a profit thereby.... And should the sugar colonies be so much discouraged, by the laying on of an ad- ditional duty ... you see plainly how very much our trade and navigation, and how many of our manufactures would be affected by it, and that would not be the worst of it [because] in proportion as our sugar colonies should decline, those of our nelghbors, our enemies and rivals in trade and navigation would advance.

Sugar in British Politics n the mid-eighteenth century West Indian sugar was the most profitable resource in the British Empire, with small islands like Jamaica and Barbados generating huge revenues. Planta- tion owners were not the only beneficiaries, as France. The letter was published anonymously, meaning that the publisher was most likely try- ing to influence public opinion against a rise in the sugar tax, which the author warns would do more harm than good. His argument shows how closely sugar had become tied up with British economic, political, and military policies by the mid-eighteenth century. we see in this Letter to a Member of Parliament from 1745. The question had to do with how much the British government should tax sugar at the point of its arrival in England, that is, how high the "duty" should be. The huge profits that the sugar industry generated made a tempting target for a government trying to raise revenue to fight its increasingly expensive wars with Source: A Letter to a Mermber of Parkament, Conceming the Importance of our Sugar-Colonies to Great Britain, by a Gentleman, who resided many Years in the Island of Jamaica (London: J. Taylor, 1745). Spaling modernized. From A Letter to a Member of Parliament, Concerning the Importance of our Sugar-Colonies In the first place, I will endeavor to convince you, that whatever additional duty shall be lald on sugar, it will be at the cost of the sugar planter.... Secondly, I shall show, that such an additional duty will be an oppression and dis- couragement and an unequal load upon our sugar colonies at this juncture especlally, and will render abortive the very scheme itself which is intended by it, of advancing the revenue. And, Thirdly, I shall set forth the great advan- tages that this nation receives from the sugar colonles, and especially from the island of Jamalca, and the great advantages that it will continue to recelve, if due encouragement be given to the sugar planter.... Now the case of the sugar planter is, that heis at a prodigious distance from the market ... and being already in debt, as the great- est number of the sugar planters are, and having already established his sugar works ... he must be ruined if those are not kept employed.... We have no forelgn market worth notice, but Holland and Hamburg, and... the Dutch will buy the French sugar, at the French col- onles at a low price, and carry it securely to Holland in their own ships. And it is well known that the French at their colonies can and do sell their sugar much cheaper than we can in our colonies, because they have better sugar land in their islands, and nearer the seaside than we have.... [T]he sugar planter is [now] at a vast deal greater expense to make sugar.... His Negro slaves... were sold at Jamaica at £35 per head [but now cost] £50 per head. ... The sugar planter pays double the freight for his sugar home than he did before... and double the frelght out for all his utensils for making sugar, and all his furniture for his house use and family, and slaves.... [U]nless the price of sugar here at market do advance very considerably, the sugar planter can't go on, but will be ruined. If the planter, to all his other advanced charges, hath a further duty laid upon his commod- Ity, he will be disabled from purchasing every year a fresh supply of Negroes, mules, and cattle; and as his present stock drops off, he will disabled from making the quantity of sugar he does at present... by which means the scheme for raising more money upon that commodity, by advancing the duty, will be rendered abortive.... The principal charge which the sugar planter is at, to ralse and carry on his work, is Negroes; and those are purchased in Africa by the English merchants, chlefly with the pro- duce and manufactures of this nation, such as woolen goods. ... At the same time that they are purchasing the Negroes on the coast of Africa, with those cargoes of British manufac- tures, they purchase also a great deal of gold, elephants' teeth, and some very valuable dying woods.... For strength to carry on his sugar work, next to the negroes, the planter must be furnished with mules, cattle, horses, etc. Of cattle the most part are raised in the colonies; some horses are raised in the colonies and some are supplied from North America. ... [His equipment]... will cost him at least 500 pounds. Add to this, the great quantity of nails, locks, hinges, bolts, and other sorts of iron ware; and lead that he must have for his buildings. And for his fleld work he must have great quantities of bills, hoes, axes, iron chains; also gear for his mill and his cattle... and all this of English manufacture.... Besides this extraordinary expense...he must have a house to live in, and furniture, and clothes, and other necessaries for himself and family, servants and slaves. To build his house he must have materials from England ... and his furniture and clothing entirely from England.... And for their food, they have a great deal, as cheese, bacon, pickles, some flour and bis- cults, when cheap, and beer, ale and cider, in great quantities from England; salted beef and butter from Ireland; and salted fish, flour, bs- cuits and sundry other kinds of provisions for their negroes from North America. There are in the island of Jamaica only, a hundred thousand negros, a few more or less; every one of these... do make use of the value of twenty shillings a year, in goods from England. In dothing they make use of a vast quantity of Manchester goods... and many other Implements, all of British manufacture. I believe ... 1t amounts to a hundred thousand pounds a year in British manufactures, consumed by the negros in Jamalca only. And now, Str, if you'll be pleased to take a view of the whole process of the sugar man- ufacture, from the beginning to the time of delivering the commodity into the hands of the consumer; that is to say, from purchas- ing the negroes on the coast of Africa, and transporting them to the West Indies... I am sure that you will be amazed to consider, what a prodigtous number of ships, of sallors, of merchants, of tradesmen, manufacturers, mechanics, and laborers, are continually em- ployed, and reap a profit thereby.... And should the sugar colonies be so much discouraged, by the laying on of an ad- ditional duty ... you see plainly how very much our trade and navigation, and how many of our manufactures would be affected by it, and that would not be the worst of it [because] in proportion as our sugar colonies should decline, those of our nelghbors, our enemies and rivals in trade and navigation would advance.