In the 16th century, Madeira surrendered its dominance of the sugarcane industry to another, much larger, Portuguese colony, Brazil.
The 1500s saw Brazil cede its stranglehold on sugarcane to Madeira.
mnli hypothesis: The 1500s saw Brazil cede its stranglehold on sugarcane to Madeira. premise: In the 16th century, Madeira surrendered its dominance of the sugarcane industry to another, much larger, Portuguese colony, Brazil.