The story of sugar is at once fascinating, surprising, and sad. For centuries, people have pursued it with almost the same passion as those chasing gold and treasures. The sugar trade made many men and nations rich and powerful. Unfortunately the sugar trade-more than tobacco or cotton-caused so many Africans to be brought over as slaves. Many slaves and indentured servants were killed or murdered by the difficult, dangerous work or cruel overseers on the sugar plantations. However, it was those conditions and deaths that helped abolitionists in England stop slavery. "Sugar moved, murdered, and freed millions."