Sugar mills: discover Antigua's sweet and bitter past

In today’s Antigua & Barbuda, tourism reigns supreme, driving more than 50 percent of GDP and employing over 46 percent of the nation’s workforce. Cruise ships, all-inclusive resorts, and yachts dominate the scene. But rewind the clock, and it was sugar that was king, which made Antigua & Barbuda one of the most prominent islands in the Eastern Caribbean region.

Betty’s Hope, a relic of this bygone era, stood as one of the most prolific sugar plantations in the West Indies. And standing under the shade of a towering windmill at what was once one of the most productive sugar plantations in the West Indies, it is not hard to imagine the legion of imperious Englishmen at its helm. Yet, history, as they say, is written by the victors, and while an abundance of documentation scrupulously records the details of the sugar industry which helped build the British Empire, precious little is known about the lives of the enslaved Africans upon whom it hinged.

As we delve into the narrative, it becomes evident that sugar’s ascent on these islands was swift. It all started with England’s colonisation of Antigua in 1632. In 1674, the island’s first sugar plantation took root with the arrival of Christopher Codrington, a Barbadian-born British soldier and plantation owner. In a mere four years, nearly half the island’s population was made up of African slaves.

The success of the sugar industry depended on the labour of these enslaved peoples who, unwittingly, made the island the flagship of the Caribbean. Indeed, these mills were built by some of the most skilled labourers, doing some of the most dangerous agricultural and industrial work in the Caribbean.

Betty’s Hope, the jewel in Antigua’s sugar crown and our heritage landmark, was but one of approximately 190 plantations across the island that relied on slave labour. Even after emancipation, many former slaves continued to toil on Antiguan plantations for paltry wages due to a dearth of viable alternatives. However, the Caribbean sugar industry eventually waned, and Antigua’s sugar mills, once symbols of prosperity, now stand as silent witnesses to a tumultuous past.

As we fast forward to the present, these mills endure as historic landmarks. Around 112 sugar mill towers, many of them remarkedly intact, still dot the countryside, poignant reminders of the days of slavery under King Sugar. For visitors, they give a fascinating insight into the country’s history. Indeed, to understand these sugar mills is to understand Antigua and its people. An illuminating map of these remaining mills can be explored at the museum at the Dow’s Hill Interpretation Centre.

As a tourism marketing professional, I advocate for their continued use in educating and engaging visitors. Guided tours. mapped trails with narratives of the skilled craftsmen, blacksmiths and masons who built the mills must be incorporated into our tourism strategy. As we preserve these fragments of our past, not only can we share our history with the world, but these untapped resources can offer potential increased revenue streams to our country.

Article written by Dean Fenton, the US Director for Antigua & Barbuda Tourism Authority