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With the emergence of the sugar trade in Belgium, Amsterdam merchants eagerly invested in this lucrative market. The Dutch became in sugar production and trade, exemplified by the West India Company, founded in 1621, which captured valuable Brazilian plantations from the Portuguese. Indigenous workers died due to harsh conditions, African slaves were brought in to satisfy the growing demand for sugar. Consequently, the migration of labor and capital across the Atlantic is closely intertwined with both sugar production and the history of slavery in Atlantic trade.  The sugar industry served as a cornerstone of the new Atlantic economy, which is deeply tied to the suffering of enslaved individuals. 

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