Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC) Caribbean History Practice Exam

After Emancipation in the British Caribbean, planters sought alternative labor sources due to the decline in the availability of enslaved labor. They looked to several regions to fill this labor gap, primarily India, parts of Europe, and Africa.

The reason Australia is identified as the correct response is that British West Indian planters did not pursue Australian labor to the same extent as the other regions. The idea of importing laborers from Australia was not a practical solution for the labor shortages faced in the Caribbean. Unlike the other regions, Australia offered fewer opportunities for planters seeking large numbers of workers willing to engage in agricultural labor in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean economy was heavily dependent on sugar production, which required a large labor force. Consequently, planters turned to India, where they engaged in indentured labor systems to meet their demands. They also utilized some workers from Europe, particularly from Ireland and Portugal. In Africa, while some labor was sourced, the complexities of returning to forced labor systems were significant, leading planters to favor indentured systems elsewhere. Australia's remoteness and lack of a similar agricultural workforce made it an unlikely choice for labor migration in the post-Emancipation context.