In the 1700s, European powers expanded cacao plantations in the Caribbean, relying heavily on enslaved labor to meet the growing demand for chocolate. This expansion had profound economic implications, as cacao became a lucrative commodity in European markets. The establishment of these plantations not only shaped the agricultural landscape of the Caribbean but also contributed to the complex social and ethical issues surrounding colonialism and slavery.

The establishment of cacao plantations in Caribbean colonies around 1700 became a focal point for critiques in abolitionist poetry and Romantic literature. Poets like William Blake and John Keats addressed the moral implications of colonial exploitation, using their works to highlight the human cost of economic gain and the complexities of love and loss in a colonial context.