Read the passage from Sugar Changed the World
Slavery was abolished in the British Empire in 1833, thirty
years before the Emancipation Proclamation in the United
States. But even after they freed their slaves, the sugar
plantation owners were desperate to find cheap labor to cut
cane and process sugar. So the British owners looked to
another part of the empire-India and recruited thousands
of men and women, who were given five-year contracts and
a passage back. For a person from India, going oversea
was not a simple matter. Once you crossed the "black
water" of the surrounding oceans, you were said to have
"gone to tapu." You no longer had any place in your village
and could not be accepted back until you went through a
special ceremony. Leaving India truly meant giving up your
home; yet for some for my family—that was their only
chance for a better life.
How do the details in this passage support the author's
purpose?
The details about leaving India persuade readers that it
was a good idea for people to leave.
The details about the "black water" entertain readers with
stories of traveling overseas.
The details about families leaving for a better life inform
readers about the status of the author's family.
The details about hiring people from India persuade
readers that people who crossed the seas were hard
workers