Rum as economic infrastructure: Alcohol's role in shaping colonial trade networks in Canada
Original framing: “Alcoholic capitalism: How rum fuelled Canada’s early economy” — The Conversation - Global
The use of alcohol as a trade item has deep historical roots in colonial economies, from the rum trade in the Caribbean to the whiskey trade in the American West. These patterns reflect broader systems of economic and cultural domination.
The role of rum in Canada’s early economy was not a mere coincidence of trade but a systemic mechanism of colonial control and economic integration.
By examining this history through Indigenous perspectives, cross-cultural comparisons, and historical patterns, we see how alcohol functioned as both a commodity and a tool of subjugation. This insight demands a rethinking of economic development models that center Indigenous knowledge and address the legacies of colonial extraction. Future policy must move beyond the colonial framework of economic success to build systems that prioritize equity, sustainability, and cultural sovereignty.