17:
235:
Act. Smuggling, however, was still very common. This was proven by the fact that annually, the
British West Indies exported about a million gallons of molasses to the colonies. After the Sugar Act was instated, exports fell in the coming years, according to records. On the other hand, mainland rum production rose during those years. The Sugar Act was later repealed in 1766, and a penny-per-gallon tax was placed on British and foreign molasses imports. This law marked the first large-scale legal importation of rum and molasses, but smuggling still continued.
163:. In the last decades of the eighteenth century, imports of French rum were at an all-time low. To combat this problem, many English planters on the islands developed their own local distilleries in order to deal with the large surplus of molasses. There were no specific restrictions on the English islands, so they were able to profit from the disposal. By the 1650s, many plantations on the islands had their own distilleries and were exporting rum to the mainland colonies. By the beginning of the eighteenth century, rum production was rising rapidly.
352:
1629:
1619:
338:
366:
234:
to revive what the
Molasses Act had failed to do. The colonies once again protested this act and succeeded in lowering the tax, but the penalties and fines angered the colonies still. Although the act was only in place for two years, it was much more successful in its goals than the previous Molasses
238:
When the colonies gained their independence, they were freed from these restraints, but their trade with the
British West Indies restricted. Although the law was later changed to allow direct importation of molasses to New England, the Navigation Acts hindered American shipping until around 1830. By
209:
molasses from the West Indies. Many ports collected about half of the legal duty that must have been imported to their harbors. This was clear in
Massachusetts where it "...imported legally less than half as much molasses and rum as it exported..." These illicit operations would continue for several
309:
together made up three-quarters of the mainland's domestic rum exports by the end of the colonial period. By the middle of the eighteenth century, Massachusetts supported sixty-three distilleries, which accounted annually for about 700,000 gallons. Rhode Island supported around thirty distilleries,
204:
imposed a fee of six pence per gallon on foreign molasses. This act was meant to force the colonies into buying molasses from the
British or stop producing rum in North America. Many, however, say that the Molasses Act was put in place to destroy New England’s rum industry. Contrary to Parliament’s
78:
methods at the time produced much more molasses to sugar than they do today. It was estimated that "as much as three parts molasses was produced to four parts sugar, and on an average it was estimated that the ratio of molasses to sugar was about one to two." This molasses was either used for table
325:
also had rum distilleries, but they operated on local terms and did not participate in the large-scale exportation of rum that
Massachusetts and Rhode Island were involved in. South of Pennsylvania, there was little interest in rum distillation, as distilleries were very expensive and difficult to
158:
The molasses trade experienced many problems in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Throughout this period, there was often never enough demand to meet the large supply of molasses that was continuing to increase. Neither
England nor France had much of a market for molasses. England imported
111:
195:
When the trading of molasses first began, it was unrestrained, apart from small local taxes. The colonies began to prefer French molasses to
British because of the price difference. French policy provided incredibly cheap prices, and the British could no longer compete. In order to control the
175:
began to encourage trade with the islands and New
England. Several bills were to be prepared in order to hinder Dutch trade with colonies, but none of them were passed. By 1715, Boston and many other colonial areas were importing around one hundred thousand gallons of molasses from the Dutch
180:
was also importing large amounts of foreign molasses compared to
English. At the same time, French imports of molasses to the colonies were also growing. This combination of importing foreign product to the English colonies caused England a lot of agitation in the years to come.
290:
At the Battle of New Orleans during the War of 1812, the Americans used barrels of molasses, among other items, as hasty barricades to provide cover from the advancing British. Chapel, Charles Edward, The Boy's Book of Rifles, Coward-McCann, Inc., New York, 1948, page 15.
258:
was said to be cheaper, easier to make, and less alcoholic than commercial beer. This came in handy for people who lacked access to purified drinking water. Molasses became a very important part of family diets and cooking purposes at this time.
118:
In the 18th century, New England became one of the leading rum producers in the world. It was the colonies’ only commodity that could be produced in large quantities by non-English powers and sold to the English. The
262:
Although the colonial rum industry was very successful in the eighteenth century, whiskey would soon become its largest competitor. Molasses, however, was also used in the colonies for kitchen purposes, such as for
159:
molasses mostly in the form of rum, but that was usually coming from the colonies at this time. The French islands in the West Indies were prohibited from shipping rum to France with regard to France's market for
205:
plans, the colonies first protested this act. They soon realized that instead of complying with the new Molasses Act, it would be much easier for them to just ignore the new prohibitive taxes and
98:
which meant clamor. Sugar plantation owners in the Caribbean often sold rum on discount to the naval ships so that they would spend more time close to the islands, providing protection from
142:. In the triangular trade, slave traders from New England would bring rum to Africa, and in return, they would purchase enslaved Africans. The enslaved cargo was then
255:
1673:
135:. These products were the main exports of the North American colonies, which led to a very secure business relationship between the two areas.
1668:
1370:
239:
the end of the colonial period, "only about one-sixteenth of the molasses imported to the mainland came from the British sugar islands."
1293:
1663:
1240:
379:
150:
to harvest the sugar for molasses. Molasses was then brought from the West Indies to the colonies and sold to rum producers.
29:
1658:
1193:
1265:
200:
decided to place high taxes on any molasses that was shipped from a foreign power to the colonies in North America. The
1188:
147:
37:
222:, the British tried once again to impose strict policy on trading goods that benefited the colonies. In 1764, the new
1479:
1208:
1161:
1223:
384:
556:
71:
16:
1135:
519:
Rum and the American Revolution: The Rum Trade and the Balance of Payments of the Thirteen Continental Colonies
531:" Agricultural History. 2nd ed. Vol. 30. Winter Park: Agricultural History Society, 1956. 77-84. Via JSTOR.org
210:
decades. Had the Molasses Act succeeded in its purpose, New England rum production would have been destroyed.
102:. Rum also gained popularity in Britain as English ships brought the liquor from America across the Atlantic.
1039:
1069:
1303:
1218:
1203:
197:
1365:
1345:
1325:
931:
280:
1683:
1632:
94:
in copper pot stills. The liquor was given the name rum in 1672, likely after the English slang word
1245:
1213:
791:
389:
1653:
1526:
1198:
1054:
796:
404:
99:
1600:
1380:
223:
1390:
1330:
836:
219:
891:
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201:
67:
8:
1298:
1183:
1140:
549:
1558:
1385:
1275:
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394:
120:
310:
and after the Sugar Act was repealed, produced about 500,000 gallons of rum annually.
1688:
1489:
1355:
1270:
744:
515:
299:
The rum industry in the colonies was limited to the middle colonies and New England.
41:
36:
was a major trading product in the Americas, being produced by enslaved Africans on
1553:
1395:
1317:
951:
749:
318:
227:
177:
139:
53:
1536:
1458:
1166:
1145:
1059:
247:
Outside of the rum distillery, the most important use of molasses was its use in
172:
28:
occurred throughout the seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth centuries in the
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816:
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264:
123:
had a large supply of molasses at this time, but the area was lacking in
49:
1509:
1494:
1431:
1120:
986:
981:
831:
776:
709:
704:
689:
664:
528:
91:
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1568:
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1416:
1375:
1003:
926:
921:
873:
811:
669:
636:
599:
231:
206:
59:
1426:
1008:
886:
826:
594:
399:
284:
110:
33:
52:. The finished product was then exported to Europe as part of the
1573:
1484:
1130:
1098:
1029:
956:
906:
846:
821:
631:
626:
621:
604:
248:
1531:
1519:
991:
936:
609:
160:
128:
124:
976:
911:
801:
726:
565:
132:
87:
337:
251:
40:
on European colonies. The good was a major import for the
1044:
276:
45:
524:"Molasses Trade." Dictionary of American History. 2003.
333:
62:grows in hot, humid climates. After landing in the
1645:
279:, and soft drinks. Molasses were also used for
166:
196:molasses trade with the English colonies, the
550:
171:At the beginning of the eighteenth century,
1371:Slavery in the British and French Caribbean
564:
557:
543:
74:, in 1493. During the eighteenth century,
70:brought sugarcane to the Caribbean during
242:
109:
105:
15:
184:
153:
1646:
1674:European colonization of the Americas
538:
380:Colonial history of the United States
213:
173:Dutch possessions in the West Indies
13:
1669:Sugar plantations in the Caribbean
294:
287:fish, and for medicinal purposes.
14:
1700:
1480:Australian Aboriginal sweet foods
576:List of sugars and sugar products
79:use or in the production of rum.
72:his second voyage to the Americas
44:, which used molasses to produce
30:European colonies in the Americas
1628:
1627:
1618:
1617:
385:Cuisine of the Thirteen Colonies
364:
350:
336:
82:To make rum, sugarcane juice is
497:
42:British North American colonies
1664:History of international trade
488:
479:
470:
461:
452:
443:
434:
425:
416:
1:
509:
48:, especially distilleries in
529:The Colonial Molasses Trade.
167:Dutch threat to the monopoly
7:
1659:History of alcoholic drinks
329:
198:Parliament of Great Britain
20:Caribbean colonies in 1723.
10:
1705:
1366:Reciprocity Treaty of 1875
1346:Demerara rebellion of 1823
1326:1811 German Coast uprising
932:Non-centrifugal cane sugar
521:. New York: Garland, 1989.
188:
144:brought to the West Indies
138:Molasses was important in
1613:
1582:
1472:
1404:
1316:
1286:
1154:
1091:
1082:
1022:
860:
725:
718:
657:
582:
573:
792:High-fructose corn syrup
410:
390:History of the Caribbean
313:Other colonies, such as
1341:Colonial molasses trade
797:High-maltose corn syrup
405:List of commodity booms
26:colonial molasses trade
1601:Pure, White and Deadly
1381:Sugar Duties Acts 1846
1287:By region (historical)
527:Ostrander, Gilman M. "
243:Other uses of molasses
224:British prime minister
115:
21:
1391:Taiwan Sugar Railways
1331:Amelioration Act 1798
220:French and Indian War
148:sugarcane plantations
114:The triangular trade.
113:
106:Economic significance
19:
1070:Unrefined sweeteners
892:Crystalline fructose
807:Inverted sugar syrup
458:Molasses Trade, 2003
440:Molasses Trade, 2003
202:Molasses Act of 1733
185:Molasses Act of 1733
154:Problems with demand
68:Christopher Columbus
1155:By region (current)
1055:Sugar confectionery
90:and water and then
1559:Sweetened beverage
1386:Sugar Intervention
1294:Danish West Indies
1276:U.S. Sugar Program
1035:Cotton candy floss
942:Plantation Reserve
837:Steen's cane syrup
395:Plantation economy
121:French West Indies
116:
22:
1641:
1640:
1490:Blood sugar level
1356:Leith Sugar House
1312:
1311:
1271:Sugar Association
1078:
1077:
1040:Maple sugar foods
745:Barley malt syrup
568:as food commodity
516:McCusker, John J.
214:Sugar Act of 1764
38:sugar plantations
1696:
1684:History of sugar
1631:
1630:
1621:
1620:
1554:Sugar substitute
1396:Triangular trade
1089:
1088:
750:Brown rice syrup
723:
722:
559:
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228:George Grenville
140:triangular trade
54:triangular trade
1704:
1703:
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1693:
1644:
1643:
1642:
1637:
1609:
1578:
1537:Sugar addiction
1468:
1459:Sugar sculpture
1400:
1308:
1282:
1259:Tate & Lyle
1250:United Kingdom
1167:Bundaberg Sugar
1150:
1146:Sugar marketing
1074:
1060:Sugarcane juice
1018:
856:
714:
653:
578:
569:
563:
512:
507:
503:Ostrander, 1956
502:
498:
494:Ostrander, 1956
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467:Ostrander, 1956
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295:New England rum
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11:
5:
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1654:Sugar industry
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1547:Residual sugar
1542:Sugars in wine
1539:
1534:
1529:
1527:Health effects
1524:
1523:
1522:
1517:
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1500:Flavored syrup
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1464:Treacle mining
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1126:Sugarcane mill
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735:List of syrups
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372:History portal
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273:Indian pudding
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189:Main article:
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76:sugar-refining
64:Canary Islands
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1050:Sugar alcohol
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782:Glucose syrup
780:
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1437:Sugar packet
1361:Molasses Act
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1336:Blackbirding
1229:Illovo Sugar
1224:South Africa
1177:Wilmar Sugar
972:Butterscotch
967:Barley sugar
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787:Golden syrup
765:Mogwa-cheong
617:Disaccharide
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1595:John Yudkin
1505:Fruit syrup
1422:Sugar shack
1412:Added sugar
1351:Holing cane
1209:Philippines
1109:Casa-grande
1023:Other forms
999:Sugar glass
962:Sugar candy
902:Gula melaka
882:Candi sugar
861:Solid forms
852:YacĂłn syrup
842:Table syrup
817:Maple syrup
770:Yuja-cheong
740:Agave syrup
675:Agave syrup
644:Added sugar
344:Food portal
315:Connecticut
269:brown bread
265:baked beans
50:New England
1648:Categories
1633:Production
1510:Date honey
1495:Cane knife
1432:Sugar nips
1121:Sugar bush
1104:Plantation
1092:Production
987:Rock candy
952:Preserving
832:Pine honey
777:Corn syrup
665:Sugar beet
510:References
218:After the
176:annually.
96:rumballion
1569:Sweetness
1564:Sweetener
1454:Sugar tit
1442:Sucrology
1417:Crop Over
1376:Sugar Act
1219:Sri Lanka
1204:Mauritius
1189:Caribbean
1162:Australia
1004:Sugarloaf
922:Muscovado
874:Peen tong
812:Kuromitsu
670:Sugarcane
637:Trehalose
600:Galactose
583:Chemistry
283:meat and
232:Sugar Act
92:distilled
84:fermented
60:Sugarcane
1689:Molasses
1623:Category
1583:Research
1427:Sugaring
1241:Tanzania
1116:Refinery
1084:Industry
1009:Wasanbon
947:Powdered
887:Chancaca
827:Molasses
719:Products
695:Honeydew
595:Fructose
400:Trapiche
330:See also
319:New York
285:pickling
178:New York
34:Molasses
1574:Vinasse
1485:Bagasse
1473:Related
1405:Culture
1318:History
1131:Engenho
1099:Boilery
1065:Tuzemák
1030:Caramel
957:Sucanat
907:Jaggery
897:Gelling
847:Treacle
822:Mizuame
685:Coconut
658:Sources
632:Sucrose
627:Maltose
622:Lactose
605:Glucose
326:build.
249:brewing
207:smuggle
100:pirates
1604:(1972)
1532:Nectar
1520:Jallab
1304:Hawaii
1246:Uganda
1214:Rwanda
992:Toffee
937:Panela
755:Cheong
727:Syrups
610:Xylose
321:, and
281:curing
161:brandy
131:, and
129:cheese
125:lumber
1515:Grape
1199:India
1194:Kenya
1141:Zafra
1136:Batey
1014:White
977:Candy
912:Misri
868:Brown
802:Honey
700:Maple
680:Birch
566:Sugar
411:Notes
133:flour
88:yeast
86:with
1679:Rums
1299:Fiji
1184:Cuba
982:Hard
710:Malt
705:Palm
690:Date
305:and
252:beer
24:The
1172:CSR
1045:Rum
927:Nib
277:pie
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558:e
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544:v
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