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The island
remained under French control until its capture
by the British in 1762, during the Seven Years'
War. The Treaty of Paris formally ceded Grenada
to Great Britain in 1763. Although the French
regained control in 1779, the Treaty of Versailles
restored the island to Britain in 1783. Although
Britain was hard-pressed to overcome a pro-French
revolt in 1795, Grenada remained British for the
remainder of the colonial period.
During the
18th century, Grenada's economy underwent an important
transition. Like much of the rest of the West
Indies it was originally settled to cultivate
sugar, which was grown on estates using slave
labor. But natural disasters paved the way for
the introduction of other crops. In 1782, Sir
Joseph Banks, the botanical adviser to King George
III, introduced nutmeg to Grenada. The island's
soil was ideal for growing the spice, and because
Grenada was a closer source of spices for Europe
than the Dutch East Indies the island assumed
a new importance to European traders
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