The Atlantic economy was an economy that was based on sugar production and use of
slaves to provide labor in the production. This economy developed after the entry of Europeans
in America. Europeans only source of sugar were the bees and which would not meet the
increasing demand for sugar. This prompted them to seek other sources of sugar leading to the
establishment of a sugar plantation on the Mediterranean coast and the Cyprus Island
The spice and medicinal aspect of sugar resulted in high sugar prices making it very
profitable. As a result, the area under sugarcane cultivation expanded immensely. New sugar
uses such as sweetening tea and coffee were found.
Sugarcane production was very costly and required steady labor supply. The Europeans
forced the locals to work in the Caribbean plantations. With time, they started resisting and many
were killed while others fled. This made the Europeans to seek other alternatives which were
enslaving European migrant laborers and the Africans who were got from the slave trade and
taken to the Caribbean and America (Harley, 2013). Most slaves were believed to provide more
labor as compared to females. The slaves were exploited and had to endure the brutal and
ruthless Europeans. They suffered from diseases like smallpox, influenza among other diseases.
They were displaced, tortured and even killed.
The Europeans used the ship to transport slaves from Africa. On their return, they would
carry sugar, tobacco, and cotton for use in Europe. They also brought wheat and horses to
America in exchange for tobacco, potatoes and later cotton.
As a result of the Atlantic economy, Britain emerged as the fiscal-military state as it had
created wide trade networks. Also, the Atlantic economy enriched a small group of English
population who were in involved in the business (Goucher, Guin, & Walton, 1998)
