The Development of Systems of Production

A system of production refers to the way in which an economy is organized to produced

commodities to sustain society
Slash and Burn- Shifting cultivation
Slash and burn agriculture is the process of cutting down the vegetation in a particular
plot of land, setting fire to the remaining foliage and using the ashes to provide nutrients to the
soil for the use of planting food crops.
As productivity declines these fields are abandoned and left to fallow. Once abandoned
however, fields are allowed to return to a more natural state as plant and tree species reclaim the
land. Burning temporarily eliminates most pest and weed species. Seeds and cuttings are planted
directly into the ash-covered soil.
The Encomienda System
The Spaniards, brought ideas about systems of production in which wealth in the form of
gold and silver (bullion) was the desired goal. They believed that if Spain had access to its own
gold and silver mines, then it could be the most powerful country in Europe. The Spaniards, who
came to the newly discovered lands came to these lands not expecting to do much work. Instead
they expected to use the native people as the labourers in the gold mines and later on the
plantations and cattle farms that the came to dominate to the region.

The natives had to work for their enslavers and offer tributes of labour- produce
gold and cotton or personal service. In return they were to be clothed, fed, paid
wages and Christianized.

The First Period of Indentureship

With the decimation of the aboriginal people and the lobbying of Las Casas,
indentureship was introduced as an alternative system of free labour. White indentured servitude
was an arrangement whereby white settlers in the French and English colonies in the Caribbean
entered into a written agreement with their white counterparts in the metropolis, where the latter
would work for three to four years usually without pay. The settlers were responsible for looking
after the white indentured servants (providing food, clothing and shelter).
At the end of his service, servants would receive a passage back home, a sum of money
or a piece of land. Many tricks and bribery played a role in this system e.g. It is known that many
people were kidnapped and brought here in their drunken state- deprived whites, many of them
.prisoners and criminals, made up the white indentured population.
Reasons for the failure of European Indentureship
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

They did not get used to the climate quickly

They arrived in the poor state of health after their long voyage.
They arrived at an unreasonable time of the year.
Inadequate provisions were ready for their health and housing (the damp unhealthy
environments on estate such as Tivoli and Conference in St. Andrew, Grenada took their

toll on the immigrants).

(5) High mortality rate and poor working and living conditions.
(6) They drank too much rum
(7) This source of labour proved inadequate. As the sugar production exploded in the region,
land was no longer available and could not the motivating attraction.
(8) ) When compared to enslaved labour were both more difficult to control and expensive to
upkeep.
See Mohammed for information on slavery
The Second Period of Indentureship

Indians, Chinese and Javanese (from Indonesia) were brought to the West Indies to serve
as labourers on plantations after the abolition of the slave trade. Indians made up a significant
portion of the indentured labourer population.
Factors that influenced Indians to leave their homelands:
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)

To escape economic distress especially during times of famine.

To earn higher wages.
Many lost property and status due to unfavourable British land policies.
Some left because western industrialization had undermined their industries such as the

cloth industry.
(5) Some women emigrated to escape oppressive arranged marriages or home conditions and
needed a more independent life.
Problems experienced by Indian indentured labourers:

Strict pass laws

Poor and late payment of wages
Sexual and physical abuse
Delayed repatriation
Inadequate provisions for welfare
Indebtedness

Indian resistance

Sabotage
Stealing
Strikes
Deserted the estates
Failed to honour work regulations
Pretended they were ill
Committed suicide
Some physically assaulted estate personnel who abused them.