Abstract

When American Congregationalist missionaries arrived in Hawai‘i in 1820, many initially opposed sugarcane planting for its worldliness and for the negative effects they perceived it as having on the Hawaiians they sought to convert. Foremost among missionaries’ complaints against sugarcane planting was its connection with distilling rum, a crucial source of revenue for cane planters throughout the world. However, missionary ideology proved to be flexible; and economic, environmental, and social factors all contributed to changes in missionaries’ positions toward sugar. Though resolute in their opposition to distilling rum, missionaries came to embrace sugarcane planting by the middle of the nineteenth century. Missionary support was instrumental to the rise of a distinct Hawaiian plantation system which upheld only certain missionary ideals.

Full Text
Paper version not known

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.