Very fascinating story! Good to remember the lives of those that have made the trade possible in the first place. Their skills were in high demand one day and completely disregarded few years later.
The modus operandi of the British seems to emerge as a quite unethical pattern of behaviour already seen with tea plantations in Asia. The victim in that case was China's millennial experience with tea cultivation, that British stole and copied to create enormous productions in India.
Would be great to know more about the orchids and if there was any trade related stories around those. Kew Gardens still has a wide collection of orchids to these days!
Thanks Ale for your insightful comment! I’m glad you found the story fascinating. It’s indeed important to remember the contributions of those who shaped the trade, even if their skills were eventually undervalued.
You make an interesting point about the British modus operandi, which seems to have been repeated in various industries and regions throughout history. The parallels with the tea plantations in Asia are particularly noteworthy.
Regarding orchids, their story is equally intriguing, and I’d love to delve deeper into any trade-related tales surrounding them. Kew Gardens, with its extensive collection of orchids, undoubtedly holds many untold stories waiting to be uncovered!
Very fascinating story! Good to remember the lives of those that have made the trade possible in the first place. Their skills were in high demand one day and completely disregarded few years later.
The modus operandi of the British seems to emerge as a quite unethical pattern of behaviour already seen with tea plantations in Asia. The victim in that case was China's millennial experience with tea cultivation, that British stole and copied to create enormous productions in India.
Would be great to know more about the orchids and if there was any trade related stories around those. Kew Gardens still has a wide collection of orchids to these days!
Thanks Ale for your insightful comment! I’m glad you found the story fascinating. It’s indeed important to remember the contributions of those who shaped the trade, even if their skills were eventually undervalued.
You make an interesting point about the British modus operandi, which seems to have been repeated in various industries and regions throughout history. The parallels with the tea plantations in Asia are particularly noteworthy.
Regarding orchids, their story is equally intriguing, and I’d love to delve deeper into any trade-related tales surrounding them. Kew Gardens, with its extensive collection of orchids, undoubtedly holds many untold stories waiting to be uncovered!
You should credit one of your major sources for the first section about the demand for rubber, Brazil, and Henry Wickham's ruse:
pp. 88-89, Open Veins of Latin America, by Eduardo Galeano, Serpent's Tail, 2009 (first published in English in 1973)