Rice Production in the Carolina Colonies

Mark WilliamsGrade 4Winthrop SchoolHamilton Wenham

Our Focus for this lesson:What helped rice become an important crop in the Carolina colony?

Imagine yourself working in a swampy field on a hot summer afternoon. The sun beats down on your head, making your hair feel like its on fire. Sweat drips down your cheeks. Its salty taste stings your dry, cracked lips. When you look up to wipe your eyes, the sun blinds you. You wave back to another worker, maybe to your best friend or your mother. But with the blazing sun in your eyes, it is impossible to make out the bent shapes across the field. With stooping backs and lowered heads, workers sink their hoes again and again into the swampy field. Come on, keep going , keep going, you say to yourself. Just one more row.

Mosquitoes buzz around your ears, biting your neck, your arms, and any other part of you that is not covered. They like to swarm around your ankles, which are coated with mud. As you reach down to scratch a bite, you look out at the thousands of green rice plants.Just one more row. Your aching feet slog through the mud. Soon you will be finished. Until tomorrow, when more rows of rice will be waiting to be hoed.

Rice plants grow to be two to six feet tall. As the grain ripens the plants turn yellow.

A dry rice field

A Flooded Rice Field

Irrigating the Rice Field

This rice is ready to be harvested.

The final Product!

Rice Takes Hold

Workers toiled in rice fields in the Carolina colony. This colony started just south of Virginia, where North Carolina and South Carolina are today. In the 1700s, rice became an important crop for the region. People in England wanted rice from the Carolina colony just as they wanted tobacco from Virginia. Knowing that rice would bring good prices, the Carolina farmers planted more of it.No one knows when settlers first began growing rice in the Southeast. They may have struggled for years to raise crops. But people do know when settlers grew the first large crops of rice. It was in the late 1600s, when Africans were brought to the Carolina colony.

The Africans had not come to the colonies by choice. They had been taken from their homes in Africa and brought by force to the colonies. There they were sold as slaves. A slave is a person whose rights or freedoms have been denied. Slaves and their children were owned by white planters.Slaves worked the rice fields in the Carolina colony, and rice became a successful crop. The area had the perfect conditions for growing rice. It had a warm climate, with long, hot summers. Carolina also had plenty of rain, which rice needs to grow. Most important, swamps covered much of the Carolina coast. Slaves carved out rice fields from these swamps because rice plants grow best when their roots are under water. Planters used many slaves and workers to grow rice on large areas of land. Soon these plantations, or large farms, were common throughout the Carolina colony.

Question time!Who worked the rice fields during the 1600s ?Slaves taken from their homes in Africa were brought by force to the colonies to work in the rice fields.

Theres one more !Why were the Carolinas a good place to grow rice ?The area had a warm climate with long hot summers. Rice needs lots of water and this area was covered by swamps.

Now a look at life on another plantation. The Waverly Plantation in the LowlandsSpringtime on Waverly plantation in the Carolina colony in the early 1800s, meant a lot of work. The slaves first job in the rice fields was to repair old ditches and make new ones. When the digging was done, the slaves planted the rice seeds. Then they let water in through the ditches to flood the fields.This painting shows a ricePlantation called Mepkin in the Carolina colony. The plantationboasted 3,000 acres of land.Now a look at life on a plantation. The Waverly Plantation in the LowlandsSpringtime on Waverly plantation in the Carolina colony in the early 1800s, meant a lot of work. The slaves first job in the rice fields was to repair old ditches and make new ones. Next the slaves planted the rice seeds. Lastly they let water in through the ditches to flood the fields.

As the rice grew, slaves flooded the fields, drained them and hoed the soil over and over again throughout the summer. Working in the rice fields was hard. African men, women and children who worked in the fields had to fight the heat and swarms of mosquitoes. Many of the slaves died from the heat and disease. What made life even harder was that most slave families could not stay together. Family members, even children were sold to other plantation owners.September was harvest time on the plantation. The slaves worked quickly to save the crops before flocks of shiny black bobolinks flew in from the north. These rice birds gobbled up the crops. After cutting down the six-foot-tall rice plants, the slaves pounded and shook the plants to remove the grain. Finally, they put the rice into large bags.As the rice grew,slaves flooded the fields, drained them and hoed the soil over and over again throughout the summer. Working in the rice fields was hard. African men, women and children who worked in the fields had to fight the heat and swarms of mosquitoes. Many of the slaves died from the heat and disease. What made life even harder was that most slave families could not stay together. Family members, even children were sold to other plantation owners.September was harvest time on the plantation. The slaves worked quickly to savethe crops before flocks of shiny black bobolinks flew in from the north. These rice birds gobbled up the crops. After cutting down the six-foot-tall rice plants, the slaves pounded and shook the plants to remove the grain.Bobolink

Rice Processing and Slave LaborRice had to be processed to be the familiar white grain we see at the grocery store. The seed shell had to be removed, and then the brown coat of bran polished off the grain. Slaves used wooden mortars and pestles to mill the rice, separating the hulls from the grain with hand-sewn black rush winnowing baskets. An account from 1775 reported, "When winnowed it is ground, to free the rice from the husk; this is winnowed again, and put into a mortar large enough to hold half a bushel, in which it is beat with a pestle by negroes to free it from its thick skin; this is very laborious work." Following the pounding, the grain was sifted to remove the flour and dust produced in the process, and finally the rice was run through a market sieve, which separated the whole grains from the broken grains. Grains that were damaged in the process were called "little rice" and brought a lower price than whole grains. When the rice was clean, it would be placed in barrels that held roughly 600 pounds each.

Hand-sewn black rush winnowing baskets

Winnowing Rice

The Lives of African-American Slaves in Carolina during the 18th Century.Slavery was well established in the "New World" by he time Charles Towne was settled in 1670. Slavery was therefore considered an essential ingredient in the successful establishment of cash crop plantations in South Carolina.England created the Royal African Company, which started the slave trade. The English slave traders did their best to trick the native kings of Africa, and each native king did his best to obtain the maximum amount of goods in exchange for the slaves he had for sale.For their cargoes of slaves, the traders brought iron and copper bars, brass pans and kettles, old guns, gun powder, cloth, and alcohol. In return, ships might load on anywhere from 200 to over 600 African slaves, stacking them like cord wood and allowing almost no breathing room.

Carolina planters developed a vision of the "ideal" slave tall, healthy, male, between the ages of 14 and 18, "free of blemishes," and as dark as possible. For these ideal slaves Carolina planters in the eighteenth century paid, on average, between 100 and 200 sterling in today's money that is between $11,630 and $23,200! Many of these slaves were almost immediately put to work in South Carolina's rice fields. Writers of the period remarked that there was no harder, or more unhealthy, work possible.

In 1769 the firm of David and John Dees advertised the sale of 94 African-Americans in Charleston, South Carolina.

Archaeological research shows us that slavery in the early eighteenth century was very different from the view we have of during the 1850s. The early eighteenth century slaves often lived in minimal huts built of upright poles set in a trench and covered in clay. The roofs were probably covered in palmetto fronds or other thatch.Archaeologists call these houses "wall-trench structures" and they were used at least up to the American Revolution. Most had no fireplaces and they were built with earthen floors. The buildings range from about 13 feet in length and only 9 feet in width up to about 21 feet in length and around 14 feet in width. There were only a few windows and these were all open, with perhaps only a shutter to close out the bad weather.

Plantation Life for the SlavesUp to a third of Low Country slaves died within a year of their arrival. Part of the problem was poor health. The environment in which rice is cultivated is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Both malaria and yellow fever may have been introduced from Africa to the rice cultivation regions by the slave trade. Slaves suffering from malaria may have brought the disease to the New World, where it infected mosquitoes. Malaria and yellow fever claimed the lives of many slaves working the rice plantations.

Slaves' nutrition, clothing, and shelter typically were poor. A pint of boiled rice, a pint of cornmeal, and either a couple of pounds of butter or fat rendered from bacon were a slave's typical daily ration, supplemented by salt and molasses. Those slaves who completed task work might grow vegetable gardens with beans or yams or fish, if near the water, to improve their diet. Although high in carbohydrates, it was a low-protein, low-calorie diet for persons involved in heavy physical labor, and the resulting malnutrition contributed to slaves' early deaths.

Most plantation owners provided their slaves with five yards of heavy, coarse cloth from which to make winter clothing each year and a pair of shoes. Slaves might spin their own summer clothing, although some provided linen pants or skirts, and a cap or kerchief for head cover. Some plantations had sick rooms or slave hospitals, but since doctors didn't know the cause of fevers and resorted to blood-letting and purging medicines, slaves may have fared as well (or as poorly) remaining in the slave quarters and taking home remedies.

These mudwall, thatched wall-trench buildings had relatively short lifespans, perhaps only ten years or so. They were quickly attacked by termites and other pests. The wet Southern climate eroded the clay used to plaster the walls. The houses were probably very cold in the winter and hot in the summer.

The slaves' diet was probably dominated by plant foods. Especially on coastal plantations broken and dirty rice was plentiful and may have been the staple of the slave diet. Meat was probably a relatively uncommon luxury and, when available, almost certainly represented the least meaty cuts of the animal such as the legs, feet, jaw, and skull. Better cuts were probably reserved for the planter's table.The most common type of pottery the slaves had is a low-fired earthenware called "colono ware." It is thought to have been made by the slaves, perhaps styled on African pottery. Some vessels are simple bowl forms, while others were made to mimic European styles.

Here are some examples of colono ware pottery probably made by African-American slaves in the eighteenth century. The specimen in the lower right corner is a handle.

Everything that most slaves "owned" could probably be put in a small pile. The archaeological evidence suggests the emphasis was always placed on "essential" items, such as pottery. "Non-essential" items, such as decorative objects, are so uncommon they must have been treasured by the slave community.

Rice Develops a City

After the harvest, plantation owners shipped the rice down the rivers to Charles Town. This city, which is now Charleston, South Carolina, became an important port because of the rice trade. The Virginia colonys rivers were deep enough for English ships to sail directly to the docks of the tobacco plantations. But the large ships coming to Charles Town could not sail up the shallow Carolina rivers to the rice plantations. Instead, they docked in Charles Towns harbor to pick up the loads of rice that the plantation owners had brought in for them.Rice Develops a City

After the harvest, plantation owners shipped the rice down the rivers to Charles Town. This city, which is now Charleston, South Carolina, became an important port because of the rice trade. The Virginia colonys rivers were deep enough for English ships to sail directly to the docks of the tobacco plantations. But the large ships coming to Charles Town could not sail up the shallow Carolina rivers to the rice plantations. Instead, they docked in Charles Towns harbor to pick up the loads of rice that the plantation owners had brought in for them.

In addition to being the business center of the colony, Charles Town was a summer meeting place for planters and their families. While slaves tended the rice fields on the plantations, planters escaped the heat and the mosquitoes. On Charles Towns cool coast, they lived in fine homes surrounded by colorful gardens. Charles Town grew as more money came in from the abundant rice crops. Rice became the second crop to help settlement in the colonies.Charles Town became the business center of the colony. Charles Town was a summer meeting place for planters and their families. While slaves tended the rice fields on the plantations, planters escaped the heat and the mosquitoes. On Charles Towns cool coast, they lived in fine homes surrounded by colorful gardens. Charles Town grew as more money came in from the abundant rice crops. Rice became the second crop to help settlement in the colonies.Now lets take a closer look at Charleston.

Heres a view of Charleston Harbor

And heres a Satellite view

Now, lets take a look at some key terms!Paddy: A paddy is a wetland in which rice is grown.Levee: A levee is typically little more than a mound of soil. Its wider at the base and narrower at the top. These mounds run in a long strip, sometimes for many miles, along a river, lake or ocean.Delta: A delta is a "river systems" landform. It is an accumulation of sediment where a stream or river enters a lake or ocean.

Thats right its question time again !How did Charlestons location help it become a leading Southern city?It had a wide harbor that received rice from plantations. It became a business center because it was the main port where English ships came to pick up rice.

Theres one more !Why was the life of a slave more hopeless than that of a servant?Servants were usually Europeans who worked for a specific number of years to pay for their passage to the United States. They expected to become free. Africans who were forced to do the hardest tasks had little or no chance of earning their freedom.

Manor House, Boone Hall Plantation, Mount Pleasant, NC

Boone Hall Plantation traces its history to 1681. It first was established as a rice plantation, and later converted to cotton. The land belonged to Major John Boone. The plantation features nine original slave cabins, which housed the plantations house servants and skilled craftsmen prior to the Civil War. This cluster of cabins, known as Slave Street, is one of the few remaining intact in the Southeast and the only brick slave street in the U.S. The current manor house itself dates only back to 1936. On the grounds today, besides the house and slave cabins, one can see the smoke house dating back to 1790, the Cotton Gin house (1853) and several flowering gardens, as well as the historic Avenue of Oaks, a mile long drive up to the entrance of the front house gates with live oaks on either side created in 1843.

Slave Quarters Or Huts At Boone Hall Plantation Near Charleston South Carolina SC

Boone Hall Plantationl

Slave quarters at Boone Hall

Interior of Slave Quarters. Boone Hall Plantation

The Avenue of Oaks

Smoke HouseTiny Church

Now lets take a look at one of the best preserved Plantations in the Southeast : Drayton Hall.Drayton Hall

The story of Drayton Hall a colonial rice plantation in South Carolina.Cattle were the foundation of the Drayton family's wealth. Thomas Drayton raised cattle on a 402-acre piece of land on the Ashley River. The money Drayton earned from cattle enabled him to purchase more land and more slaves and eventually allowed his family to become planters rather than ranchers. By the time of his death in 1717, Thomas Drayton had built an estate that counted several plantations, more than 1,300 head of cattle, nearly 150 horses, 46 enslaved people-Native Americans and people of African descent and a large rice crop.

At 23 years old, John began to make the transition from rancher to planter. No one knows when the first rice crop was planted at Drayton Hall, but the process began after 1738. Just as it took many years to construct the house, the construction of the rice fields would have been involved a lot of work. Dirt walls called 'banks' had to be built to keep salt water out and a series of ditches and gates had to be constructed to move fresh water in. Just fifty acres of rice fields might involve almost 5,000 feet of ditches. As we learned earlier, rice involved more than just planting and harvesting. The polished rice was packed into barrels and shipped out. This would typically be accomplished around Christmas, but sometimes took until February.

The rice likely would have involved at least half the enslaved people, if not more, who worked at Drayton Hall; it is thought that women played a larger role in rice cultivation than men. If not involved directly with the rice crop, enslaved people also filled support roles. Coopers made barrels; blacksmiths made tools; carpenters made houses, barns, and sheds. Animals were kept, including cows, pigs, and chickens. A family of cooks was continually busy, and nothing was wasted. Animal parts that could not be eaten could be made into shoes or candles or even used in the construction of buildings animal hair was mixed into plaster, and tallow was used to make molds. The rice likely would have involved at least half the enslaved people, if not more, who worked at Drayton Hall; It is thought that enslave African women played a larger role in rice cultivation than men. If not involved directly with the rice crop. Enslaved people also filled support roles as coopers making barrels; as blacksmiths making tools;and as carpenters making houses, barns, and sheds. Animals were kept, including cows, pigs, and chickens. A family of cooks was continually busy, and nothing was wasted. Animal parts that could not be eaten could be made into shoes or candles or even used in the construction of buildings animal hair was mixed into plaster, and tallow was used to make molds.

Okay, lets wrap things up !How did the rice crop help Charleston develop into a major Southeastern city ?Charleston was the largest shipping and business center in the Southeast. It was the summer meeting spot for planters away from the heat of the plantations.

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