Agriculture at Betty’s Hope

Chapter 7 by Georgia Fox explores sugar cane agriculture at Betty’s Hope. An industrial complex, the cycle of cane cultivation, harvesting, and processing is examined in detail. One of the key questions is whether there was any true innovation, particularly with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. It is suggested that enslaved labor contributed to innovations, but to claim their contributions was subsumed under the repressive regime of the plantation hierarchy. Agricultural production is also discussed as it relates to extreme weather events such as drought and the critical need for water to run a large plantation like Betty’s Hope. Utilizing the archaeological and documentary evidence, the shift from more traditional farming techniques to steam power is demonstrated for the nineteenth century.