Rum in History- October

October Through The Years

1637- Sugarcane is taken from St. Kitts to Martinique.

1651-  The Navigation Act passed by Parliament October 9 forbids importation of goods into England or her colonies except by English vessels or by vessels of the countries producing the goods.

1750- Massachusetts has 63 distilleries producing rum made from molasses supplied in some cases by slave traders who sell it to the Puritan distillers for the capital needed to buy African natives that can be sold to West Indian sugar planters.

1758-  George Washington distributes free rum to constituents as he runs for the Virginia House of Burgesses, a move which earns him the highest number of votes for any candidate.

1780-  A hurricane destroys much of the English fleet in Carlisle Bay.  English sugar consumption reaches 12 pounds per year per capita, up from four in 1700, as Britons increase coffee and tea consumption.

1850-  Nearly 15 percent of the world's sugar consumption now comes from sugar beets.  The Royal Navy reduces its daily rum ration from one-quarter pint to one-eighth pint to be dispensed before the midday meal.

1900-  Sugar beet production worldwide reaches 5.6 million tons, a figure that quadruples in the following 64 years.