Sugar. It sits there, dormant, nestled in a small bowl or serving-size packet, waiting to be spooned into a cup of coffee or tea, spread across some cereal, or dropped into a recipe for cake, pie, or other scrumptious treat in the making. It is so readily available, so easy to use, and so irresistibly tasty. But few people stop to realize the enormous economic, social, political, even military upheaval this simple-looking, widely popular food enhancer has caused in many parts of the world. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, even into the nineteenth century and early decades of the twentieth, sugar cane was a preeminent crop upon which economies succeeded or failed, societies grew, and money flowed like . . . well, sugar! A region particularly impacted by sugar was the volcanic islands of the Caribbean-virgin soil enriched by crushed coral and limestone and blessed by unlimited sunshine. The result was soil so rich for planting that the necklace of island colonies and small nation-states became a massive source of the world's supply of sugar. Antigua's 108 square miles, an island of undulating hills and indented coastline, fell into this category.
About the Author: Agnes C. Meeker, MBE is a sixth generation Antiguan on her Mother's side, all of whom have been involved in the sugar industry. She takes great pride in her Caribbean island country and its rich history, and works tirelessly to preserve that history for future generations. She devoted more than 20 years of research to document the historical information contained in this volume about Antigua's sugar plantations. Volume 1 was published in March 2017, and Volume 3 is scheduled for publication in 2019. She has been engaged with the Museum of Antigua & Barbuda for 20-plus years, and in 2016, was presented with the distinguished Member of the British Empire award by Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace for founding Antigua's St. John Hospice. Donald A. Dery is a former journalist and corporate communications executive, with international experience in Europe, Canada and Mexico as well as the United States. He is the author of two novels: Smooth Talkin' Bastard and It's Not Easy, and is working on his third. He and his wife, Rowena, reside in Newport, RI and Antigua, WI.