What cash crop was primarily grown in the Caribbean?

Sugarcane was the primary cash crop grown in the Caribbean during the colonial period. The region's tropical climate and fertile soil made it ideal for cultivating sugarcane, which was a labor-intensive crop that required extensive plantations. The production of sugar became incredibly lucrative and led to the establishment of large-scale sugar plantations, where enslaved Africans were forced to work under harsh conditions. These plantations not only provided significant economic benefits to European colonial powers, but they also shaped the social and cultural dynamics of the Caribbean, influencing everything from population demographics to local economies.

This emphasis on sugarcane production played a key role in the Caribbean's economic development and its integration into the transatlantic trade systems of the time. Other crops listed, such as coffee, rice, and cacao, were also cultivated in various capacities, but none had the same level of prominence or economic impact as sugarcane during this period in the Caribbean.