Sugar Cane Harvest, Antigua, West Indies (1823)

Sugar Cane Harvest, Antigua, West Indies (1823)

AP African American Studies Guide

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Topic 2.6

William Clark, “[Views of sugar production on Antigua],” in Ten Views of the Island of Antigua, 1823

Enslaved Black people cut the sugar cane and load the bundles or junks into a horse-drawn cart. The plantation owner on a horse speaks to a Black overseer. Includes cutting bills or knives, coconut palms, and a windmill in the distance.


Source: William Clark, “[Views of sugar production on Antigua],” in Ten Views of the Island of Antigua, 1823 (Courtesy of the John Carter Brown Library)

Discussion Questions

  1. How does William Clark’s 1823 painting portray the condition and treatment of the enslaved on Antigua?
  2. Closely examine the enslaved workers in Clark’s image. How would you describe the division of labor and the different roles of the enslaved at the sugar plantation?
  3. After analyzing this image, what can you infer about Clark’s purpose and his intended audience?