Change from Logwood to Mahogany

Change from Logwood to Mahogany
Logwood was the first major timber export from the Caribbean and was
produced mainly in Belize. It was very valuable for its dye, which was used
by wood manufacturers. Spanish ships carrying logwood were often attacked
by British pirates, who stole the cargo and resold it. However, the
buccaneers soon decided that cutting the logwood trees themselves was an
easier way and safer way to make a profit. These new producers caused a
glut on the market. This resulted in falling prices in the 1760s and so
mahogany replaced logwood as Belize’s main wood export. Since mahogany
wood was harder than logwood, the economy of Belize (renamed British
Honduras after it was colonized by Britain) changed drastically. Logwood was
a small tree that required only a few men to cut it.
Slavery started in Belize in 1724 but there were relatively few Africans until
the 1770s after which the number of Africans expanded to more than three
quarters of the population of about 5 000 people. Mahogany production
created new jobs, e.g, as huntsmen, the axe men and cattle men and these
jobs were done by skilled slaves. The huntsmen went into the forest to find
mahogany trees, the axe men did the chopping and trimming of the trees,
and the cattle men took care of the animals used to transport the logs. These
enslaved men, their masters and overseers had to cover long distances to
find the trees, which did not grow in clumps like the logwood but were
located singly and often far apart. This meant that sites were temporary and
that enslaved men were away from their families for long period of time so
logging had to be seasonal. After the logging season ended, families were
reunited and celebrations took place at the community festivals where the
enslaved interacted with each other. This interaction among the enslaved
created a new Belizean creole culture.
Tobago and British Guiana are other territories that experienced the
the changeover from logwood to mahogany.