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From barter to Production

By Mike Becker

The first trade relations between the Netherlands and Suriname were composed of a barter with the Indians along the rivers. The products were different sort of wood, Orbaan a dye and other agricultural products, but also hammocks and goods that became exchanged against hardware, textiles and others. In the year 1613 there was already a small Dutch agency at the Corantijn-river where tobacco grew and a trading-post in the village Parmubo (Paramaribo) which collected products along the Suriname-river. These trading-post store the products until they were transported. These ships were indeed small (60 to 100 barrels), and could, so like in the modern navigation, do not lie long and wait for freight. A ship could make two journeys per year and had to set via the Azores in direction Amazons sail around then with the Gulf stream and the wind along the coast on Suriname course. The way back in the Netherlands went then along the northern route.

The necessity of agriculture in the large style

The ships came only to Suriname if there was freight and a regular transportation of products in sufficient extent to the factories was only possibly with large-scale agriculture, on plantations. Wood became shipped mineral resources at that time still unknown. Sugars, molasses and spirits were the preferred agriculture products followed in later periods by coffee, tobacco and cotton. After the colony in the year 1667 was plundered and devastated through the Englishmen Harmonds and after that by Willoughby there were still only 23 plantations with 121 sugar-kettle and some spirit-kettle and approximately 700 slaves, 324 piece of cattle and approximately 300 Europeans remained. The yield at sugars was valued in this year at 800000 pound.

The ships brought also freight to Suriname: merchandise, salted fish, bacon and flour furthermore bricks and tiles. There were also horses delivered to Suriname because they were used in the sugar-mills as driving force. For the bricks the cargo price Netherlands - Suriname was total six guilders per thousand stones. The Dutch bricks, later also as ballast take along, threatened the secure position of the small brick-factorys in Suriname. Attempts to put this fabrication back in service were not filled with luck only after second world-war Suriname again had an own brick-factory.The Dutch ships paid the half at government taxes that were demanded from other. (in the year 1680 three guilders for each load that a ship large is for the import and also three guilders for the export). The agriculture production made their profit alone with the export of the products. It was also gladly seen if a ship runs under Dutch flag. It is easy to understand that this situation emerged a large danger. Wars between the Dutch and the Englishmen, other wars, the economic situation in Europe were the reasons which hindered the navigation. The amount of the ships per year between 1706 and 1774 was between 17 and 59, with changing intensity; 1790-1794 for example 56, 5, 47,14 and 75.

Sugar

In 1637, Pieter Brouwer introduced Brazilian sugar cane to Barbados and from there it made its way down to Suriname. Sugar was very important as it was often used as currency. For instance, in 1690 one lb. of sugar was equal to 2 nickels (stuivers). Letterwood (wood used in printing) was also a currency and 1 lb. of sugar = 3 lbs. of letterwood. In 1692 one paid with sugar to get married. The reformed church journal of 1720-1740 has entries that show that 1000 lbs. of sugar equals f 50 a fee necessary to marry outside the church. In 1694 one paid 20,000 lbs. of sugar to be buried inside the church. 10,000 lbs. was paid to be buried in the church cemetery. If the plantation owner was buried on the plantation 400 lbs. of sugar was paid to the church. Children paid 200 lbs. when buried on the plantation. Other people paid according to a downward sliding scale. One also paid 150 lbs. of sugar to reserve a seat in church. One paid with sugar for legal document such as wills (100 lbs.), a copy of a will (50 lbs.), a contractual document (100 lbs.). It has been alleged by some that houses built on the Heeren and Keizersgracht in Amsterdam were built from Suriname's riches. However, no documented proof has yet shown up. It appears true that plantation owners (sugar barons) in the middle of the 18th century lived the good life. The 'good life' was of short duration as the expeditionary actions against run-away slaves became costly as well as all the defensive measures to protect the plantations with the result that Suriname slowly became a 'bottomless well' for the Dutch treasury. The 'good life' of the plantation owners is reflected in a report by Gov. Gen. Jan Nepveu - only from 1740-1746 was there a peak in production of coffee, cacao and sugar as shown from ships manifests outbound for Amsterdam. Today coffee and cacao have disappeared as an economic crop from Suriname. The rise and fall of plantations in Suriname is shown as follows: In 1730 there were 400 plantations. 1785 452 (350 of the owners never lived in Suriname) 1832 451, 1840 383, 1862 200. In 1976 less than 20 plantations remained. (A plantation is larger than 20 hectare) In 1890 94 Javanese contract workers were recruited to work on the sugar plantation in Marienburg. The experiment was a success so more Javanese were brought to Suriname. The introduction of the Javanese into Suriname was posted previously (see monthly logs). The lack of modern mechanisation equipment such as for cutting the sugar cane and for processing of the sugar makes sugar from Suriname an expensive product which can not compete on world markets.

The free port Paramaribo

In the year 1848 it came so far that Paramaribo becomes a free port "for all people who live in friendship with the kingdom of the Netherlands". The flags solidarity was past, however the foreign ships had still to pay double fees until 1851. In the same period the money market was also renewed . On one hand gave it thereby new possibilities on the other hand gave it problems with the consequences of the abolition the slavery. Like one this circumstance of stoppage named " personnel problem" tried to solve is interpreted and written down in the article over the immigration . It is not completely clear what it means, but it is exceeded known that between 1850 and 1865 the value of the export (curb trading) and the import with approximately 1.500.000 F (1860 to example : If value pulled in 3.056.946 F, and export value 4.524.001 F). After that was the balance to 1910 negatively besides 1895 : If value pulled in 5.203.029 F , export value 5.490.735 F. After that became it again better. Before 1913 were the numbers for example import value 7.113.420 F , export value 9.457.787 F.

The development of the plantationsThe indulged of the plantations is recognisable from following report. ( A plantation is larger than 25 ha . Smaller agriculture organisations are named in Suriname "ground" ; Decision 1896)

1668 23 plantations

1683 50 plantations

1687 200 plantations

1730 400 plantations

1785 452 plantations ( from 350 plantations the owners lived outside of Suriname)

1832 451 plantations

1840 383 plantations

1853 263 plantations

1862 200 plantations ( a year before suspension of the slavery)

1903 82 plantations

1913 79 plantations

1922 less than 80 plantations

1976 less than 20 plantations

With the small agriculture it ran differently.

1873 1181 farmers with 1228 ha

1903 19756 farmers with 7886 ha

1969 30000 farmers with 20000 ha

These numbers show that the loss of the persons wanted to work on the plantations meant the preliminary end the large agriculture as economic activity. The small agriculture is laid out primarily for personally provision and after that for the local market. Changes in this situation came first after world-war 2 with the foreign aid.

 

 

Export-Production in the Colony Suriname in the years 1700- 1787

 Exporttable

Year

Sugar

Coffee

Cocoa

Cotton

Tobacco

Orlean

Indigo

Letterwood

raw Wax

Colorwood

Rubber

Gold

in Barrel

pound

pound

pound

pound

pound

pound

pound

pound

pound

gallons

ounce

1700

10500

2300

1701

10550

3100

1702

10572

1350

1703

10700

4700

1704

12100

6800

1705

12860

8700

1706

1468

900

600

100

10600

1707

18499

925

325

925

10800

1708

12125

300

4500

1709

18401

743

600

7758

1710

1566

1543

150

20000

80

1711

21546

138

30920

161

1712

22695

2587

46645

46

1713

14568

2765

1215

1712

1328

18685

1714

22028

2030

6865

532

9424

1715

19532

400

1780

4429

109

65611

1716

17639

800

900

4700

100

56049

1717

14552

708

1875

1100

18602

600

13

1718

12435

1200

1488

2100

80

1719

17316

760

2169

180

1500

2700

36

1720

19480

1550

1000

1000

1721

25848

2180

230

250

20936

1722

29866

2242

505

82385

1723

20734

1540

200

111783

1724

25818

974

157908

1725

22190

46086

390

865

17864

1726

24833

142702

3249

300

300

17000

1727

26660

207373

4659

350

965

5250

100

1728

25836

230162

1372

220

1729

26248

272165

339

156

10464

315

1730

27100

503667

1731

23241

530032

1230

783

1732

27356

1101147

3168

191

714

1733

20756

789097

2694

82

81

1734

22488

1257036

355

66

1735

17169

1376335

3875

316

1736

25525

1620365

14550

533

14

5

1737

21560

3256472

16933

437

302

6830

1738

22648

2401260

30315

1677

9250

1739

19131

3184933

56951

2206

1740

24228

4971246

77853

3234

17621

35537

1741

25362

4863447

164011

1307

1742

30693

2765702

225058

1119

4056

1743

19738

3007014

256892

876

392

1744

22342

3497121

407021

1025

238

270

11200

1745

22853

2392776

674749

528

565

5700

1746

19691

2577864

547235

557

6903

1747

18134

4100001

510

1748

20069

1407547

310861

581

1749

22741

3167021

287869

300

29045

1750

30754

3536339

338882

114

1988

1751

28153

4331298

205307

3572

2168

1752

28324

5356480

313218

5217

2575

1753

15280

2888650

140319

8392

2730

2000

1754

19284

6350745

145392

4959

5627

11643

1475

1755

16417

2872572

85332

1803

1420

9897

1756

22501

6763627

163712

1449

43921

1757

18169

8696486

107404

1838

4861

1758

14998

6789286

123842

785

7110

1759

18737

10859313

102012

2078

1760

21014

10206487

128482

1292

1761

22173

10899749

142724

1134

1762

21961

12239001

113228

6116

1763

21869

13712281

119108

8701

4630

1764

20630

9454390

131030

34341

1765

20121

13809000

160530

50780

1766

19820

14200200

230300

138119

1767

21019

13780400

295132

208315

1768

21763

10906000

410532

257002

1769

20915

14786045

274320

227967

1770

14730

9860750

230547

168260

1771

20314

11971000

465714

213985

1772

19780

12680125

390945

93985

1773

16981

16315138

381909

185457

1774

13313

12016117

516630

125128

1775

20255

13300000

733338

144428

1776

17350

11750000

650155

330127

1777

16300

12950500

720430

310125

1778

15975

11150300

630170

280000

1779

14795

13100800

530430

430175

1780

15700

11750000

570350

650800

1781

16980

11971116

571150

840200

1782

17327

10842814

580345

975546

1783

15673

12587535

490855

1125454

1784

14324

12913465

560194

1010587

1785

16176

9787300

670136

930413

1786

16750

12976170

675940

936700

1787

15744

12129756

802724

925967

From this table we learn that the best export goods over this period were coffee, cacao, sugar and cotton.

From the mid-seventeenth century to the first quarter of the nineteenth century, around a total of 215,000 slaves were imported to Suriname, all from an area between today's Senegal and Angola. These slaves worked on the seven hundred plantations that were established in Suriname over the centuries and most of which were eventually closed down.

Suriname's plantation economy reached its zenith in the second half of the eighteenth century. In around 1770 there were some 110 sugar and 295 coffee plantations in operation and the colony had a population of some 60,000 slaves, 3,000 free persons, mainly Whites, as well as a further 1,500 soldiers. From that period, the colony entered a gradual economic decline.

An example of the struggle between the merchants and the government is to be read from the following papers:

[Colonial Papers. Vol. 28, No. 63.]

To the Right Honorable Sr Thomas Lynch Knt his Maties Leift Gouernor & Comander in cheife of this Island of Iamaica, & Vice-Admirall to his Royall Highnesse the Duke of Yorke &c.

That whereas yor Honors Petrs haue to their great Content & Satisfaccon observed ye infinite Care yor honor euer since yor comeing hither hath beene pleased to take, To incourage those yt Adventure to this Island, & to remove all those thinges wch might in ye least hindr or obstruct ye Advantage of his Maties good Subjects, Soe yt being fully satisfied & assured, That yor Honors Care reaches & respects not onely psons, But likewise ye interest of yor poore Petrs, Wee are imboldened to informe yor Honor of those pr judices & inconveniences, wch Doe not onely at prsent Accrue to us, But Likewise more & more doe Threaten vs; & ye infinite Number of Iewes wch daylie resort to this Island & Trade amongst, contrary to all Law, & Policy; There being a possitive Act of Parliamt wch giues a generall procripcon to ym all, & since yt severall others haue beene made, to forbidd Possitively any Aliens to Bell any thinge by retayle, & vnless it bee Three or foure amongst ym Whoe haue obtained their Lrs of Denizacon the others ought to bee respected & vsed as Aliens, they haueing hitherto onely Traded vnder ye coullr & Countenance of ye rest.

The great mischeife wch wee suffer by ym is, That their Tradeing is a perfect Monopoly, For they are a kind of a Company, & Trade wth a joynt Stocke, Whereby they allwaies Comand ready money, & by yt meanes doe not onely allwaies buy ye choicest & best goods, but frequently whole Cargoes, & if yor Honors Petrs haue at any time a share wth ym They will certainely vndr sell ym though to their owne Loss, wch They can better beare because of their penurious way of Liueing; But by these Arts at last they gaine Excessiuely, & giues ye whole measure to ye Trade themselues, & if ye Ballance should bee Continued there, How much all ye English Mrchts (& indeede ye whole Island) will in a short time suffer, may Easily bee apprhended.

Yor Honor haueing vissited in yor Trauells ye most Considerable Tradeing Cittyes & places in Europe &c. Cannott but bee Sencible of these Truthes; And how this sorte of People doe Ingrosse to ymselues the whole Trade where they are, wch must needs bee ye same in a place of soe smale a Trade as this, & where there is such a Number of ym.

And wee doe further begg yor Honors leaue to make this farther Remonstrance of or Complt, That ye great Inducemt of or removeing of or selues hither, was the Princely care his Matye did allwaies take of ye peopleing & setleing of his American Collonies & for ye better doeing of itt, hath seemed to intend, That ye whole profitt & benefitt of those places should bee reaped by his owne Subjects; wch Intencons & designe very much apprs in ye Acts of Navigacon, But more cleare & plainely by those severall Treaties of Comerce, & Trade, wch his Maty has lately establish't amongst his Neighbours.

And wee doe Humbly beseech yor Honor to Consider further, That, These persons remoued ymselves hither from none of his Maties Dominions, Meerly invited by their Lucre & designe, & what assurance can there bee of their fidelities, who liue vnder noe obligation of Duty & Alleigance, & can never bee supposed to regard or prserue Either of ym any longr then their owne private int'rest & Advantage Leads ym to it.

And Although their Tradeing amongst vs makes a noyse, & seemes to giue some kind of Creditt & reputacon to ye Island; Yet ye Kingdome of England receiues noe benefitt, because All their Merchandises are brought Directly from Holland where they will againe (certainely) Transport ymselues, wth all ye Gayne & Advantage They shall haue made of this place, & how much ye Island wilbee Drayned by That, & all his Maties Subiects suffer in it, may Easily be apprehended & foreseene.

Premisses being therefore Considered, Yor Petrs doth Humbly Pray, That yr Honor, & Honorable Councell, will please onely to allow those yt are Tollerated to Trade by his Matye by wholesayl, & not by retayle, As all of them at present doe, & forbidd ye remainder, According to ye wholsome Lawes of England in y case, made & prouided.

And yor Petrs shall euer,

Pray &c:

[Signed] THO : SKUTT, HENRY STANDISH and twenty-nine others.

[Endorsed] The Originall Petition of the Merchants at Port Royall to Sr Tho Lynch concerning the Jews.&c

Read in Councill. 11th June. 1672.

From St. Thomas, or possibly from Madeira, where they had for a long time been engaged in the sugar trade, the Jews transplanted the industry to Brazil, the largest of the American colonies. Brazil thus entered on its first period of prosperity, for the growth of the sugar industry brought with it the growth of the national wealth. In those early years the colony was populated almost entirely by Jews and criminals, two shiploads of them being brought thither annually from Portugal. The Jews quickly became the dominant class "a not inconsiderable number of the wealthiest Brazilian traders were New Christians."(