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Mexico: Sugar Production

Encyclopedia of Mexico, 1997, ISBN 1-884964-31-1, pg 1384

"An important feature of sugarcane production in Mexico is that, although designed for export, it had always been mainly oriented toward domestic consumption. Topographical and climatic conditions never have been as favorable to sugarcane in Mexico as they were in other parts of the New World, such as northeast Brazil and the Caribbean. Moreover, the cost of transport from the interior to the coastal ports severely reduced the profit margin from sugar cane export. Hence, says Barrett, 'even as late as the period 1568-1620, both the weight and value of sugar exported from New Spain were very small in contrast to exports from Hispaniola and even Puerto Rico, and also in contrast to the value of exports of dyes and hides from New Spain itself.'"

Affects provinces [34] Campeche, [43] Matagorda, [28] Tampico, [29] Tlaxcala, and [32] Tehuacan. The center of sugar production in Mexico was Morelos.
 
Campeche

[34] Campeche Sugar -> Luxury (Logwood)

Historical Atlas of Central America, ISBN 0806130377, 2003, pp 159-161

Campeche is spanish for logwood. Active dye is Hemotoxyline. Gives by itself a blue to violet shade depending on the pH.

"In one group of commodities, however, colonial Central America was a producer of global significance. Natural dyestuffs were to the Audiencia of Guatemala what spices were to parts of Asia: exotic, non-perishable, high value, low bulk commodities that even in the age of sail could be profitably exported to markets across the ocean."

"The struggle to control the production and export of logwood was one of the underlying causes of the War of Jenkin's Ear between 1739 and 1748. Not until the treaty of Paris, signed in 1763 did Spain fully concede the right of British subjects to exploit logwood in Belize...prices plummeted...replaced with Mahogany."

"Agrarian Change in Eighteenth-Century Yucatan", Robert W Patch, The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol 65, No 1 (Feb 1985), pp 21-49
"As already mentioned, sugar had been produced in Yucatan in the earlier colonial period, but it had never achieved much importance. There are some indications that by the late seventeenth century, this crop was being grown on a small scale in the southern Sierra, but there is no mention of sugarcane in any of the notarial records until the 1750s. At that time ...[cane fields]... began to be registered in estate inventories. Considerable local demand already existed for sugar and its byproduct, aguardiente. This fact is borne out by import statistics for the 1750s and 1780s, which demonstrate that sugar and aguardiente together usually accounted for 40 percent of imports arriving in Sisal and bound for Merida and the rest of the northern interior. These goods contiued to arrive in Campeche in large quantities in the 1790s and in the first decade of the nineteenth century, but at no time were exports of sugar or aguar-.... To meet this internal demand, landowners, especially in Campeche and in the Sierra, began to cultivate sugar on their estates."
 
Argentina & Chile

[223] Aires Fish -> Grain
[177] Aisen Fish -> Wool
[228] Magallenes Fish -> Wool
[229] Tierra del Fuego Fish -> Wool
[227] Santa Cruz Fish -> Wool
[226] Chubut Grain-> Wool
[225] San Matias Grain-> Wool

Aires: All the evidence suggests that Buenos Aires was overwhelmingly dominated by the cattle industry - therefore, GRAIN. The exports were Hides and towards the end of the period salted beef was also exported. Buenos Aires was an important, albet minor port, so perhaps this was the reason the designers chose Fish. Fish was, however, not an export good. Argentina's primary weakness was a lack of manpower. With more people it would have transitioned to a grain exporting region, since it is a very fertile region.

Patagonia: The remaining provinces are in the Patagonia region. This region was not settled during the EU2 timeframe. Sheep raising was the predominant activity in the 19th century. Ranchers occupied windprotected canyons, where their flocks of sheep have adequate room and food for grazing.

[175] Valparaiso: For the sake of completion I am including this province. It remains as FISH. Fishing was done by the Catalans. Commercial fishing began in the 1770s at Chiloe Island - fished the Humboldt Current, wich was very cold and in which fish thrived. The Catalan Royal Maritime Fishing Company of Barcelona did whaling - had a Crown monopoly and processed the catch in Patagonia.
 
Yaraguay

[154] Yaraguay Sugar -> Spices (Cocoa)

In another thread I had suggested Cocoa should be classified as Sugar. However, I would like to retract that suggestion. My research indicates that Cocoa was called the "spice trade". Additionally, it has all the characteristics of a spice since the predominant production was concentrated in very few provinces - Venezuela and Equador. So, I would like to treat it as a spice.

"The Cacao Economy of the Eighteenth-Century Province of Caracas and the Spanish Cacao Market",
Eugenio Pinero, The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol. 68, No. 1 (Feb 1988), pp 75-100

"Beginning in the seventeenth century, cacao constituted one of the main staples of the province of Caracas. During that century, cacao jockeyed for a predominant position, and with the advent of the Caracas Company in 1728 it was established as the main product of the region. The company was created, with monopolistic powers, to ship cacao to the Spanish market
and to curb contraband."

"The Significance of Cacao Production in the Amazon Region during the Late Colonial Period: An Essay in Comparative Economic History", Dauril Alden, Proceedings of the Philosophical Society, Vol. 120, No. 2 (April 15, 1976), pp 103-135

"During the 1790's the level of exports by Europe's dominant supplier, Venezuela, reached their peak for the colonial era at 8.8 million pounds per year and the Prussian scientist Alexander von Humboldt estimated that the colony then had 16 million trees under cultivation."

"During the eighteenth century Venezuelan cacaos came to be esteemed as supeior in quality to all others grown in the New World."
 
GeneralSnoopy said:
[36] Honduras Coffee -> Gold (mine value of 5 initially)

I'll submit some events to reflect the change in mine value, both up and down.

"Labour in the Colonial Mining Industry of Honduras", Linda Newson, The Americas, Vol 39, No 2 (Oct 1982), pp 185-203

"Gold and silver production in Honduras probably never exceeded 5% of that produced in Spanish America at any one time during the colonial period, but it was of considerable importance to the local economy and employed a significant proportion of the total workforce."
Click to expand...

I wouldn't be so quick to change this to gold. I have production figures for Honduras from 1578-1617 and it's maximum production during this period was only 107,818 pesos of 8 reales. Zacatecas alone, averaged over a million pesos, per year during this period. By 1617 it had declined to a insignificant 20,406 pesos.
 
Honduras

sturmvogel said:
I wouldn't be so quick to change this to gold. I have production figures for Honduras from 1578-1617 and it's maximum production during this period was only 107,818 pesos of 8 reales. Zacatecas alone, averaged over a million pesos, per year during this period. By 1617 it had declined to a insignificant 20,406 pesos.
Click to expand...

The principal export of Honduras was gold and silver; it certainly was not coffee. I will agree that the value should be small. The value should increase to a rather small number, then with the discovery of the Peruvian mines the value should decline back to 5.

There are special American Mines events. Honduras should be included. When special events kick in that increase the value of the Peruvian mines, then the mine value of Honduras should drop.

More Info: http://countrystudies.us/honduras/9.htm
 
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Isthmus

[39] Isthmus Fish -> Naval

Historical Atlas of Central America, ISBN 0806130377, 2003

The Isthmus (modern Panama) imported substantial provisions to support the operations of the port. Given this import, FISH as a trade good (food) is not a reasonable choice. Of the available trade goods, NAVAL is perhaps the best choice since it did have a substantial shipyard. The shipyard, however, was not self-sufficient since the pine forests did not extend this far south, so it had to import pitch and tar from Nicaragua (EU2 province of Costa Rica). Nonetheless, NAVAL is perhaps the best choice.
 
Mosquitos

[38] Mosquitos Naval -> Grain

Historical Atlas of Central America, ISBN 0806130377

Mosquitos is the modern day country of Costa Rica. The primary purpose of this province during the colonial era was to supply provisions to the province of Isthmus. For this reason I am suggesting GRAIN.
 
Yucatan

[35] Yucatan Fish -> Luxury (logwood)

Sources:
"Agrarian Change in Eighteenth-Century Yucatan", Robert W Patch, The Hispanic American Historical Review, Vol 65, No 1 (Feb 1985), pp 21-49
Historical Atlas of Central America, ISBN 0806130377, 2003

The Yucatan until about 1750 was able to feed itself and its cities although with little or no surplus. After that time there were grain shortages on a frequent basis. The food problem was dealt with by grain rationing, paying bounties to importers, and sending out agents to purchase grain. For this reason, I feel FISH (food) as the principal export is not correct.

Logwood is principally found in the EU2 province of Campeche (Laguna de Terminos in Campeche and on the east coast in Belize). Smaller stands are also found in the EU2 province of Yucatan - principally Cozumel island and the northeastern tip of the peninsula near Cape Catoche.

Cotton CLOTH was the principal export of the Yucatan peninsula. This product was considered of low quality albet with a cheap price - it was exported regionally. The Yucatan at Vallodolid city was the site for the first mechanized CLOTH factory in Mexico (although, after the EU2 time period). Vallodolid is the center of cotton production in the Yucatan.

As cotton CLOTH was a regional trade good and logwood was of global importance, I feel that LUXURY (logwood) would be the most appropriate trade good. The actual provincial trade value between FISH, LUXURY, and CLOTH is minor, so it should not affect its relative valuation.
 
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GeneralSnoopy said:
The principal export of Honduras was gold and silver; it certainly was not coffee. I will agree that the value should be small. The value should increase to a rather small number, then with the discovery of the Peruvian mines the value should decline back to 5.

There are special American Mines events. Honduras should be included. When special events kick in that increase the value of the Peruvian mines, then the mine value of Honduras should drop.

More Info: http://countrystudies.us/honduras/9.htm
Click to expand...
IN some cases the possible goods in case of more widespread rural colonisation can be considered. I don't know if this can be coffee, or if it's still better with guld/silver.
 
In which file are each nations preferences to what COT to send their merchants
in what order.

Also, as I have not played VEN, GEN or DEN in 1.40 till now I have noticed that their trading points never reach 10+ until the 1600. after that they sit under 20.

While the FRA , POL, RUS and SWE (when they get it) runs at 50+ for more of the game. (and not talking about more than 1 cot)

Why this discrepency? Is it based solely on goods and if so are the goods too different in value?


I recently played SWE and I was getting trading points of 98 :) which is huge for a nation that gets a cot in around 1620.
 
Matto Grosso, Goias & Honduras

GeneralSnoopy,
Can you check and see what the principal exports were for Matto Grosso and Goias were during the game period? I've proposed that Matto Grosso lose its gold in favor of Minas Gerais, but I'm not sure what should replace it. I know that Brazilwood was a major export from the northern coastal areas of Brazil in the 15th and 16th centuries, but I'm not sure if Matto Grosso and Goias were involved in that or not.
I'm not necessarily against a mine in Honduras, but gold certainly shouldn't be the primary export for the duration of the game as production in 1617 is pitiful and isn't really worth mentioning. If you could come up with some solid figures, either by weight or by value, for its production before 1578 and after 1617 I'd be happy to write some events covering the fluctuations.
 
Honduras Gold/Silver

sturmvogel said:
GeneralSnoopy,
Can you check and see what the principal exports were for Matto Grosso and Goias were during the game period? I've proposed that Matto Grosso lose its gold in favor of Minas Gerais, but I'm not sure what should replace it. I know that Brazilwood was a major export from the northern coastal areas of Brazil in the 15th and 16th centuries, but I'm not sure if Matto Grosso and Goias were involved in that or not.
I'm not necessarily against a mine in Honduras, but gold certainly shouldn't be the primary export for the duration of the game as production in 1617 is pitiful and isn't really worth mentioning. If you could come up with some solid figures, either by weight or by value, for its production before 1578 and after 1617 I'd be happy to write some events covering the fluctuations.
Click to expand...

I'll check into Matto Grosso and Goias. It may take a while.
The previous references had information on the Honduras silver/gold production, so let me get the info. With the end of the silver/gold boom, Honduras became the poorest province in the Audiencia of Guatemala.
 
Guyana

Guyana
[179] Cuyuni Fish -> Sugar
[180] Guyana Gold -> Wool

These two provinces comprise modern day Guyana. Guyana was first colonized by Dutch (Netherlands) settlers in the 1600s. The British formally took over the colony in 1814.

Cuyuni: "Sugar soon emerged as the most important plantation crop. Sugar was first grown in colonial Guyana in 1658, but was not produced on a large scale until the late 1700s, about 100 years later than in the rest of the Caribbean region."

Source: USA Library of Congress Country Studies: Guyana
http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles.html

Guyana: Gold was discovered 1878-79. This province was not settled during the EU2 timeframe. It approximates to the Rapunni Savanna where livestock is raised, so WOOL.
 
South Africa: Ciskei

South Africa:
[775] Ciskei Sugar -> Grain [EDIT: to WOOL]

"The South African Sugar Industry", Colin A. Lewis, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 156, No.1 (Mar 1990), pp 70-78

"Consequently only limited areas of South Africa are suited to the natural production of cane: essentially coastal Natal and the adjacent area of Transkei...The South African sugar industry began in Natal...in 1855, the first public sale of 'colonial sugar' was held in Durban."

The coastal area of Ciskei is a well watered region, so GRAIN.

EDIT:
Discussion in Thread: AGC & EEP Africa, Posts 516 & 520

The coastal area of Karroo and Ciskei (of about 20-50 miles deep) is well watered, but I will concur that is not sufficient to gain the manpower bonus for GRAIN. So, WOOL for both.
 
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Game effects of deleting Spanish gold mines?

If we change Toledo to Wool or somesuch, what effects will that have on the game? Obviously the Spanish player will have less money to pay for colonizations and armies, but I wonder how critical it would be overall if we bump up the gold from the New World in compensation? I'm not at all sure how critical the gold is for the Castilians/Spanish before the Aztecs are conquered.
Anybody have any ideas?
 
GeneralSnoopy said:
South Africa:
[775] Ciskei Sugar -> Grain

"The South African Sugar Industry", Colin A. Lewis, The Geographical Journal, Vol. 156, No.1 (Mar 1990), pp 70-78

"Consequently only limited areas of South Africa are suited to the natural production of cane: essentially coastal Natal and the adjacent area of Transkei...The South African sugar industry began in Natal...in 1855, the first public sale of 'colonial sugar' was held in Durban."

The coastal area of Ciskei is a well watered region, so GRAIN.
Click to expand...

But was this area suitable for sugar cultivation with technology available within the scope of the game? SA already has two grain provinces, right? Since it is more likely than not that white people will settle the area ahistorically early would it not make sense to assume that a sugar market would concomitantly develop there ahistorically early as well.
 
sturmvogel said:
If we change Toledo to Wool or somesuch, what effects will that have on the game? Obviously the Spanish player will have less money to pay for colonizations and armies, but I wonder how critical it would be overall if we bump up the gold from the New World in compensation? I'm not at all sure how critical the gold is for the Castilians/Spanish before the Aztecs are conquered.
Anybody have any ideas?
Click to expand...
Good question. Maybe Fodoron could help.
 
New data on precious metals in Spanish America

I've updated my webpage at http://www.geocities.com/sturmvogel_66/GoldandSilverMines.html with production data for the first century or so of Spanish occupation. This gives me data covering the entire game period with the exception of the years between 1648 and 1680. I need to convert the later data into production quantities by multiplying the tax receipts by the tax rates, which will be more complicated than might be expected as the tax rates changed more often that you might think.
But I can do a first pass based on the production numbers once I plot the various caja reales in EU provinces, consolidate those that fall into the same province and do some minor number crunching. This will be enough to make some concrete proposals for reworking the gold provinces in Spanish America, although I really won't be able to write many events tracking the fluctuations in production.
The second pass will be to convert the later data into weights, which will allow for more events covering fluctuations.
 
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