Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World. On the day the coolies were to depart, each one was given a "tin ticket,” an identification disk, hung around the neck or strapped to the arm. The enslaved Africans who were taken to the sugar plantations lost their names; they were meant to be pure property. The Indian indentures were lied to, they were tricked, they were no more than cheap labor to keep the plantations running—but they were still individuals. Each of their names was carefully recorded in account books. What claim do the authors make in this passage? There was no difference between enslaved Africans and Indian indentures. Indians retained some of their individuality by being able to keep their names. Cheap labor was necessary to keep the sugar plantations running smoothly. The tin ticket identification disk was recorded in account books to identify people.
