history in martinique

Plantations : "Prisons without wall, odious manufactures producing of the tobacco, the coffee, sugar, and consuming slaves."

Augustin Cochin, "History of the abolition of slavery" 1861.

With the origin of the slave system

At the beginning of colonization, the colonists having obtained a small concession are made help by "volunteers" come from France, to clear and emphasize their grounds. They plant initially pétun (tobacco) then indigo. Cultures which require little labour and are of a good output. With the discovery of the manufactoring process of sugar, any change in a few decades. Sugar is at the time, the most remunerative of all the products of export. Its production excites all covetousnesses. The rich person colonists, the flibustiers nouveau riches and even the religious orders, crammed by the hope of enormous profits, launch out in the adventure and build sugar plantations with turn of arm. More than one hundred in less than 30 years (1660-1690). The investment is heavy. The sugar plantation is not satisfied to exploit vast fields of canes, it is also a true preindustrial establishment, very advances some over its time. The cane, cut once, not supporting transport, all the production process must be carried out on the spot. The mills to extract the juice, the boilers to crystallize sugar, the additional buildings, are built in the heart even property. The trouble, it is that one needs arms to make function the whole. The "volunteers" are not enough numerous. The governor of the island tries well to make some come in greater number of France, going even until obtaining that condemned or beggars are sent to him, but the newcomers being far from being enough with the task, another solution should soon be considered. It is thus, which taking as a starting point the the model of the Spanish plantations, the growers from Martinique will call upon slavery. The first slaves are bought to Dutch traffickers or English who practise the draft of the blacks and pour their human cargoes on the quays of Saint-Pierre. But the growers are always far from the account. the lifespan of a slave seldom exceeding 25 years, they must be ensured of a constant renewal. The kingdom of France smelling the good bargain authorizes and encourages the installation of a circuit of draft between the coasts of Africa and those of Martinique. French ships start to make the shuttle, and in less than 100 years, more than 100 000 African are off-set on the island. Their work, their sufferings, their deaths will enrich the growers and will do of Martinique one of the most advantageous French possession. Whole cities of the Atlantic coast, Nantes and Bordeaux... theirs owe their prosperity, and at the time of Louis XIV, nearly 400 000 people live in France with the commercial with the Antilles and the draft of the blacks.

1848: Abolition of slavery and bankruptcy of "the saving in plantation"
The plantations which dominate the economy of the XVII and XVIII centuries (500 about 1750) disappear or are reconverted in the medium of XIX following the slump in prices of the sugar and the abolition of slavery (1848). At that time, the sugar extracted beet produces in Europe seriously competes with a sugar from Martinique whose production cost flies away with the disappearance of servile labour. After the emancipation, the growers try to save their exploitations by replacing in the fields of canes their former slaves by "free workers" who they make come from Africa and Asia. But in spite of mechanization, the wages paid with the newcomers increase the costs of exploitation considerably. Many plantations close their doors then, or are reconverted on a remunerative market: Rum. At the beginning of the XX century, Martinique becomes world exporting first of this drink, before a terrible blow again comes to strike its staggering economy: the eruption of Mount-Pelé in May 1902.

Plantations

Several of these old plantations, in ruins, in exploitation, transformed into distilleries or hotels can be visited today.

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Habitation Céron

This old sugar refinery built about 1650, on the commune of the Prêcheur, is one of the oldest plantation of the island. Opened to the public, it preserves the ruins still today (the plantation was destroyed by the eruption of 1902), of its street Case Negro where was piled up the slaves, like all its buildings of production: hydraulic mill, boilers, purgery...

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Habitation Clément

A very beautiful plantation transformed into museum. The house of Masters, classified historic building, is visited and offered the unique opportunity to be immersed in the way of life of the growers of the XIX century and to discover architecture and creole furniture. The plantation accomodates also an old distillery of rum and its wine storehouses of ageing.

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