How did the population of Barbados change between the 1640s and 1684?

Between the 1640s and 1684, the population of Barbados underwent a significant demographic shift driven by the "Sugar Revolution," which saw the consolidation of small family farms into large sugarcane plantations.12

As the economy transitioned to sugar production, the ethnic composition of the island changed dramatically due to a twofold population movement:

• White population: Many white settlers emigrated to Jamaica and the North American colonies, causing the white population to decline from approximately 37,000 in the early 1640s to about 20,000 by 1684.12
• Black population: Simultaneously, the Royal African Company and other traders brought increasing numbers of enslaved Africans to the island to labor on the plantations. Consequently, the Black population grew from about 6,000 in the early 1640s to approximately 46,000 by 1684.12

This transformation established a plantocracy, where a white planter elite controlled the economy and government through the systemic oppression of enslaved laborers.12