Download or read book A History of Sao Tome Island, 1470-1655 written by Robert Garfield and published by Mellen University Press. This book was released on 1992 with total page 380 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This text is the history of the Portuguese island of Sao Tome from its discovery in 1470 to 1655 - its internal social and economic development and changing relations with the African mainland and the world trade system. Settled by Portuguese criminals, prostitutes, children of Jews, and African slaves, their mulatto descendents became a wealthy sugar-growing planter class, Europe's leading sugar suppliers in the 16th century.