The Economy of the Southern Colonies relied heavily on slave labor. Chapter 4 lesson 3 The Southern Colonies: Plantations and slavery by: Madison Main Idea- The Economy of the Southern Colonies relied heavily on slave labor. The Southern Colonies needed labor on farms to grow plantation crops like tobacco.

Terms and Names indigo Eliza Lucas William Byrd 2nd overseer Stono Rebellion

The Plantation Economy Many different crops were grown in the south The Plantation Economy Many different crops were grown in the south. The biggest crop grown in the south was tobacco. They also grew rice and indigo. A lot of crops in the south were cash crops. The south had a port city it was Charles Town, later known as Charlestown this city is in South Carolina. John Rolfe was a man that introduced tobacco as a cash crop.

The Turn to Slavery Slaves were usually African The Turn to Slavery Slaves were usually African. There were fewer than 500 African slaves in Virginia. Along with African slaves there were whit servants. White servants could not be kept permitly. European diseases killed many Native Americans. African slaves made up 40 percent of the southern population.

These are early 20th century slaves.

Plantations Expand Slavery grow so much that plantations were able to expand. They expanded in South Carolina and Georgia. Enslaved people did a lot of hard labor. Cultivation of rice was back breaking labor.

Eliza Lucas introduced indigo as a successful plantation crop.

The Planter Class Slave labor allowed some planter wealthier The Planter Class Slave labor allowed some planter wealthier. The Byrd family was one of those planters that became wealthier. The wealthier families formed an elite planter class. They bought the most slaves. They grew more crops like indigo because they had more slaves.

This is an indigo bush

Life Under Slavery Slaves were watched over by overseers Life Under Slavery Slaves were watched over by overseers. Overseers are men hired by planters to watch over direct the work of slaves. Slaves work about 15 hours at the peak of the harvest season. Slaves would be whipped if they were not doing their full share of work.

This was on a plantation in 1936.

Resistance to Slavery Slaves sometimes fought against their enslavement by working slowly, damaging goods, and purposely carried out orders the wrong way. Slaves got so angry at times that they rose up in the rebellion. A very famous rebellion was the Stono Rebellion. Stono Rebellion started with about 20 slaves at the Stono River in Charles Town.

Slaves at the Stono Rebellion.

By Madison Archer

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