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Essay on HW4DBQ

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Will Hedderich
AP World
Dr. Forsgren
February 7, 2015 The Caribbean region in the late eighteenth century was exploited in many ways: plantations altering any financial potential and cruel oppressors exploiting natives and slaves to keep the “Old World” linked to the “New World.” Full of pirates, slave rebellions, and involved in multiple wars including the Nine Years’ War and the Seven Years’ War. They were home to many plays for profit, the easiest of which was smuggling. The causes and responses to smuggling were all around the same, all that matters was whom the smugglers were working for, and whose funds were being subverted by said smuggling.
Smuggling was a better alternative to legally exporting or obtaining goods for profit. …show more content…

With technically non-illegal smuggling bringing sugar, molasses, rum, and indigo coming in from smaller French colonies in the surrounding area, the English are forced to buy it wholesale from Monte Christi. The Spanish are obtaining it for almost nothing, and charging the English a greatly inflated price, which can understandably bring a negative connotation onto smuggling. From Richard Tyrell (doc 2), we can see the unfair advantage that smuggling can bring. With the French bringing in goods without tax, they don’t have to price it higher to make a profit, subsequently putting the English out of business. The French are putting the English out of business by underselling them all thanks to smuggling, which means both parties share the hatred of the British Empire and its collective wallet. Roger Elletson (Doc 3) explains how smuggling can not only hurt the British Empire economically but also physically—by reducing its population. By “freeing” slaves and selling them to the Spanish, smugglers had advanced from stealing money to stealing labor from the English, whom were less than happy to say the least. They did attempt to stop these smugglers from stealing money, as can be seen from John Orde’s (Doc 4) orders. The English attempted to stop smugglers from bringing in illicit goods to sell in English colonies in the first place, finally putting the metaphorical boot down. From his point of view, they were simply trying to prevent

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