17 feb 1627 año - February 17, 1627: First English settlements on Barbados

Descripción:

English colonists purchases land on Barbados to farm sugar. The Dutch taught the English planters strategies for running a highly efficient plantation, and the English further optimized these, making Barbados one of the wealthiest areas in the world at one point. Barbadian planters were able to save money by refining their sugar and producing rum right on their island instead of shipping raw material to Europe for manufacturing. By cutting out the middle man, i.e. Europe, they could save money on trade.