1. Agriculture and Slavery in Carolina

2. Carolina Agriculture
At first, the Carolina colony’s two most profitable crops were rice and indigo
Rice was known as “Carolina Gold”
Indigo produced a dark blue dye that was very expensive
Together, rice and indigo made the Carolina planters a LOT of money

3. Rice and Indigo

4. Rice Problems and Indigo Solutions
The main problem with rice was that it could only be grown on rivers at least miles away from the coast
The water was much fresher in those areas far from the beaches
This limited where rice could grow
Fortunately, indigo could be grown just about anywhere in Carolina

5. Rice Problems and Indigo Solutions
The person who really helped grow indigo in Carolina was Eliza Lucas Pinckney
Pinckney discovered an easier way to get the dye out of the indigo plant
She shared this process with other planters in Carolina, and soon the colony was growing much indigo

6. Eliza Lucas Pinckney

7. The Need for Slaves
Unfortunately, planting and harvesting rice and indigo required a large labor force
Even counting Native American slaves and white indentured servants, there weren’t enough people to grow rice and indigo
Instead, Carolina planters turned to African slaves to do the work

8. The Need for Slaves
South Carolina became one of the first colonies to rely on slave labor.
Historians believe that, in the 1690s, African slaves taught the colonists how to grow rice

9. Rice Planters

10. How Did Slaves Get to Carolina?
The government of England created the Royal African Company to buy slaves in Africa
Once bought or kidnapped, the Africans were taken to slave “trading centers” to wait for a ship
The ship would take Africans to England, where they were put on slave ships for the trip across the Atlantic Ocean

11. Slave Trading Center

12. How Did Slaves Get to Carolina?
At these slave centers, slaves were thrown in cramped dungeons
These dungeons had no windows and no bathrooms
Up to 200 people could be put in one of these dungeons
Slaves waited in these places until they were put on the ship to England

13. Slave Dungeon

14. Slave Dungeon

15. How Did Slaves Get to Carolina?
In England, after being put on the slave ship, most slaves were ordered to go below deck
The conditions were terrible
If you had to use the restroom or got sick, you went right where you were

16. Going Below Deck

17. Slaves Below Deck

18. Slaves Below Deck

19. Slaves Below Deck

20. How did Slaves Get to Carolina?
It was said that you could tell a slave ship by:
looking for the trail of sharks behind it, and
If you were downwind, from the smell

21. How Did Slaves Get to Carolina?
This horrible trip across the Atlantic Ocean, from England to North and South America, became known as the “MIDDLE PASSAGE”

22. The Middle Passage Routes

23. The Middle Passage

24. The “Death List” of a Slave Ship

25. Slave Shackles

26. Slave Shackles

27. Slave Shackles

28. Slaves in Carolina
After making the Middle Passage, slaves landed in the West Indies, where they stopped off before heading to Carolina
In Carolina, the slaves had to be unloaded on Sullivan’s Island, near Charleston, to be checked for diseases
Finally, the healthy slaves were taken to Charles Town, where they were auctioned

29. Slave Auction Advertisements

30. Slaves in Carolina
“Ideal” slaves could be bought for as much as $20,000 EACH!
Most were bought and taken immediately to work in the rice fields
2/3 of slaves who worked on rice plantations died before they reached age 16
Nearly 40% of all slaves in North America before the American Revolution came through Charles Town

31. Slaves in Carolina
Once in Carolina, many slaves mixed their languages and English together to form the Gullah language
By the 1730s, there were 20,000 slaves versus 10,000 colonists.

32. **The Stono Rebellion**
Whites in Carolina always feared the chance of a slave revolt
On Sunday morning, September 9, 1739, the STONO REBELLION broke out in (now) South Carolina
20 slaves, led by a slave named Jemmy, broke into a store, stole weapons, and killed the white store owners

33. The Stono Rebellion
Moving south, they burned plantations, killed whites, and grew in numbers
Finally, they reached nearly 100 members
They were eventually ambushed by armed white planters, and most were executed
As a result of the Stono Rebellion, the colony passed the Negro Act of 1740

34. Images of the Stono Rebellion

35. The Negro Act of 1740
Greatly restricted what rights the slaves could have
Slaves could not travel without a written pass
Could not raise food or earn money
Could not learn to read
Could not meet in groups without whites present