History Of Nutmeg

TERRORISM!  Despite recent popularity, it has been around for a long time. At one time, the Banda Islands were the only nutmeg source for the world. As early as the year 1511, the home of the Bandanese people began to become occupied by the Portuguese, the Dutch, the Spanish, and the English merchants and traders, all who were seeking control of this lucrative spice trade. In the year 1621, the militarized Dutch East Indies Company, either killed or forcefully expelled these people from their home and eventually re-settling the islands with imported prisoners, convicts and indentured laborers to work the nutmeg prison farms. An estimated 530 Bandanese people were returned to the prison farms due to their much needed expertise.

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