New Books Network David Singerman, "Unrefined: How Capitalism Reinvented Sugar" (U Chicago Press, 2025)
Oct 11, 2025
Dr. David Singerman, an assistant professor at the University of Virginia and author of "Unrefined: How Capitalism Reinvented Sugar," delves into the dark history of sugar as a global commodity. He discusses how sugar's value transitioned from natural qualities to a pure chemical object, reshaping both industry and labor dynamics, particularly for enslaved workers. Singerman also highlights the political implications of beet sugar, the role of Scottish engineering in industrialization, and corruption linked to sugar tariffs and measurement standards.
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What Sugar Even Means
- Before 1800 sugar was defined by sensory qualities and origin, not chemistry.
- The 19th-century beet-vs-cane debate forced people to ask who gets to decide what "sugar" is.
Glasgow Built Sugar's Industrial Backbone
- Glasgow supplied industrial machines and engineering expertise for distant Caribbean factories.
- Manufacturers had to customize designs and send engineers to ensure machines worked in tropical settings.
Tacit Factory Skill Versus Chemical Control
- Planters relied on enslaved workers' tacit skill to judge boiling and crystallization timings.
- European chemists aimed to replace that worker knowledge with chemical procedures to seize control.
