Megan Allan F3A

History Essay
The Social Organization of the British Caribbean in the Time of Enslavement

With the rise of sugar cultivation in the Caribbean in the 1640s, African slaves were
brought in to work in the fields. This gave way to a new social organization in the British
Caribbean society, that was not apparent when tobacco cultivation was at large. A hierarchy was
put into place including the White Europeans, the mixed-race people and free Africans, and the
enslaved Africans.

The people with the most power, the people at the top of the social pyramid, were the
Whites. They were completely free and could do whatever they pleased. They considered
themselves superior to the rest of the groups in society. They were the only group who had any
kind of political power, and they could pass and enforce laws which could further control the
non-Whites. They were also immensely outnumbered by the African slaves and were always
fearful of a revolt by them.

Though the Whites were connected by race, and were considered superior to everyone
else, there was a divide in status among them. This status was determined by their occupation
and wealth. The wealthy Whites had jobs like governors, planters, and bookkeepers. Though
there was a divide among Whites, this was nothing compared to the Whites as a whole versus the
non-Whites; the mixed-race people and the Africans.

The next group on this tier is the free mixed-race people and the free Africans. They
were not slaves but they were not completely free either. They were legally free, but they could
not hold political power or move into a white soicety. They wanted to be equal to the Whites but
of course this was impossible. They also considered themselves superior to the African slaves.
They were considered less than the Whites solely because of their race. For example, a White
that is illiterate and very poor was still considered superior to any non-White, no matter how
wealthy or educated. It was race above all else in this society.

Lastly are the African slaves; the lowest group. They were separated from the free
mixed-race and free Africans by status/law and even complexion. They were separated from the
Whites by law, and of course, race. They were at the complete mercy of the Whites, and even
some mixed-race people and Africans, as some of them were slave owners. They were
considered inferior to everyone else and were treated like objects; the first thing that a slave
owner did to a newly enslaved African was take their name, to show that they were their
property. They had no rights, no freedom, and absolutely no political power. They were not
allowed to meet with each other without the permission of their masters; let alone practise
religion. The African slaves were divided by status; the domestic/skilled slaves and the field
slaves. The former were held in a slightly higher regard than the field slaves; who were the
lowest of the low.

In conclusion, it is clear that the once peaceful and free British Caribbean was converted
into an unjust slave society, with White people at the top, then free mixed-race people and free
Africans, and lastly, African slaves.