Colonialism in the Caribbean

Question

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Colonialism in the Caribbean relied heavily on plantation agriculture, particularly the cultivation of sugar, tobacco, and coffee. This system relied on enslaved Africans and the forced labor of indigenous peoples, rather than the native Indians who were largely wiped out by disease and mistreatment. The impact of colonialism in the Caribbean was far from benign, as indigenous populations were all but wiped out and the forced labor of enslaved Africans and their descendants led to extreme exploitation and oppression. Colonialism in the Caribbean began much earlier than 1776, with the first European settlements established in the 16th century.