Question of the Day What are the natural geographical resources of SC? Fertile land Mild climate Long growing season

South Carolina “The Wealthiest Colony” Felicia A. Kopelman DFMS

Objective: Explain how South Carolinians used their natural, human, and political resources to gain economic prosperity.

Natural Resources S.C. natural resources included deer that could be hunted for its skins. AND Pine forests was also a resource we could use to harvest timber.

Natural Resources Geographic conditions in the Lowcountry made it suitable for planting rice. Port of Charleston and Navigable waterways along coast and into the interior (rivers) made shipping goods to market possible. SC also had broad expanses of fertile land, a mild climate, and a long growing season.

Human Resources (People) As a result of the people’s use of the natural resources, a flourishing trade made SC a profitable colony.

Money-Makers 1. Initially, traders obtain furs and deerskins from Native Americans in exchange for beads, trinkets, guns, and alcohol. Settlers then shipped the hides to England and are paid money. When some NA’s were forced into slavery, the good trade relationship ended.

Money-Makers 2. Because the early settlers of SC came from Barbados SC started established a thriving trade with this Caribbean island! SC sold cattle and Native Americans to the people of Barbados.

Money-Makers 3. Pine Trees Pine trees were a source of Pitch and Tar. Pitch and Tar are Naval Stores which were needed by the British to keep ships watertight. They also used lumber for ships.

Pitch and Tar Pitch (sticky stuff from the pine trees) Tar (to moisten wagon axles)

Money-Makers The growing African slave trade brought not only laborers but also their knowledge of cattle herding and rice planting to SC. 4. Rice became known as “Carolina Gold” a staple crop and the source of long-term prosperity. The determination of the settlers and the hard work of their slaves resulted in a growing agricultural economy.

Rice “Carolina Gold”

Eliza Lucas Pinckney As an immigrant from Antigua (British colony in Caribbean) planted indigo to make her family plantation successful

Money-Makers 5. Indigo Indigo was a plant used to make a highly valued “blue” dye British gov’t was offering a subsidy (cash bonus) as an incentive to anyone who would grow indigo.

Eliza Lucas Pinckney Eventually, Pinckney was succeeded and shared her success with other area planters.

Eliza Lucas Pinckney Due to her efforts, indigo became a new cash crop for SC Recognize the color on our state flag?

Political Resources Political factors also contributed to SC’s prosperity. Mercantilism: economic system where the “mother country” controlled trade in order to export more goods than it imported. By enforcing mercantilist policies, the mother country would get more silver and gold and become WEALTHY and POWERFUL!

Political Resources Mercantilism South Carolina served as both a source of raw materials and a market for British manufactured goods. Result: This lessened the mother country’s dependence on foreign trade and improved her balance of trade (exports over imports)

Political Resources Mercantilism British Government: They Encouraged development of new products such as indigo by offering subsidies (or bounties) to planters who grew it.

Political Resources Mercantilism British Government: Both rice and indigo were on the “enumerated list” of products that could be sold ONLY to England South Carolina planters had a secure market in which to sell their crops. BUT, they did enforce this law on Carolina rice so could sell it to other nations so SC had an economic advantage of a wider market.

Political Resources Mercantilism British Government was lax in its enforcement of most mercantilist laws (a condition known as salutary neglect), and so the people of British N. America were free to develop their economies without much interference from the mother country