How A Tiny Caribbean Island Singlehandedly Sustained The American Revolution

In the 18th century, gunpowder was a highly regulated trade good. Empires like the British and the Spanish wanted to ensure that rebels, pirates, and criminals could not access the valuable material. Gunpowder was hard to make and hard to source. The United States did not have local gunpowder manufacturers until well after the outbreak of the Revolutionary War. Gunpowder was highly controlled. The Americans had to import it from the British, and its whereabouts were clearly tracked. At the start of the American Revolution, the British made every effort to remove gunpowder from rebellious areas. Large plantations were emptied of their gunpowder stores. Local armories were targeted. Militias were forced to turn in their powder. Even small towns and local farms were deprived of gunpowder, more likely to be used for hunting than rebellion. The British hoped that by starving the Americans of gunpowder, their rebellion would literally fizzle. Unfortunately for Britain and other empires of the day, there was one place where any savvy merchant could buy gunpowder. If you asked any shady trader where one could purchase enough gunpowder to fuel a revolution, they would tell you Sint Eustatius. In Sint Eustatius, anyone could buy anything if they had the money and the ships. <a href="https://grantpiperwriting.medium.com/how-a-tiny-caribbean-island-singlehandedly-sustained-the-american-revolution-c344a0994161">Website</a>