Rice & Other Rice & Other Commodities Commodities

of the Atlantic of the Atlantic WorldWorld

Rice & Other Rice & Other Commodities Commodities

of the Atlantic of the Atlantic WorldWorld

By: Elise Stevens Wilson

Triangular TradeTriangular TradeIn the 17th and 18th centuries trade in

the Atlantic grew rapidly.Europe, Africa, and the New World

each had commodities to offer the others.

Several trade triangles developed

Europe -Copper-Guns-Manufactured goods-Textiles

Africa-Enslaved men -Enslaved Women- Enslaved Children

American Colonies -Rum-Fish-Tobacco-Rice-Lumber-Cotton-Indigo

Caribbean -Sugar-Molasses-Slaves

THE IMPORTANCE OF THE IMPORTANCE OF RICE IN SOUTH RICE IN SOUTH

CAROLINACAROLINAA Case Study of the Symbiotic Trade Relations in the Atlantic

IT IS A RELATIONSHIP WHERE IT IS A RELATIONSHIP WHERE

EACH INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP EACH INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP

DEPENDS ON THE OTHER FOR DEPENDS ON THE OTHER FOR

SOMETHING. THEY BENEFIT SOMETHING. THEY BENEFIT

EACH OTHER. EACH OTHER.

What is a symbiotic relationship?

It All Starts with SugarIt All Starts with SugarWhen Europeans first started to

settle in the New World, they quickly discovered a new product, sugar.

They set up large sugar plantations in theCaribbean, like Barbados.They needed people to work on those plantations – African slaves

South Carolina Feeds South Carolina Feeds BarbadosBarbadosPeople seeking a fortune wanted to find

ways to make money and acquire more land.

South Carolina was “unclaimed” and was close to Barbados. So proprietors went in 1670 to seek their fortunes.

Europeans tried various different crops, raised livestock, and cut down lumber to sell.

In the beginning, livestock raised in South Carolina fed people in Barbados. South Carolina helped keep the sugar plantations functioning by supporting them with food. Later rice would be a major food staple.

Barbados would send sugar and molasses which the American colonies would turn into rum.

“ “ The only commodity of The only commodity of consequence produced in consequence produced in South Carolina is rice, and South Carolina is rice, and they reckon it as much their they reckon it as much their staple commodity, as sugar staple commodity, as sugar is to Barbados and Jamaica, is to Barbados and Jamaica, or tobacco to Virginia and or tobacco to Virginia and Maryland.” Maryland.” – James Glen, 1761– James Glen, 1761

Finding LaborFinding LaborNative Indians seemed like a likely

source of labor for the proprietors of South Carolina, but there were a couple of problems.◦Different language, customs◦They know the land well – easier to

run away◦Colonists feared retaliation from tribes◦Nevertheless, Indians were used as

slaves for generations

Journal Question:

Why do you think Europeans chose enslaved Africans to be the main labor force in the colonies?

European LaborEuropean LaborEuropean labor was appealing since white

workers were familiar with customs and language.

They also were familiar with clearing land and farming which Indians were not.

But, white laborers had little motivation to work hard, and they were indentured servants, so there was a time limit for how long they had to work.

African LaborAfrican LaborColonists looked to black slaves as a

good source of labor even though they were an expensive initial investment.

As with the native population, African slaves did not know the language and customs of the European settlers. But, most slaves entering South Carolina were coming from the English Caribbean, not directly from Africa, so the slaves had time to become acclimated to European culture.

Additionally, Africans, unlike Europeans and Indians, were familiar with rice cultivation as it was a crop grown in West Africa. They brought this knowledge with them and helped to make rice a cash crop.

Here is wording from an advertisement that appeared in the Evening Gazette in 1785, “a choice cargo of windward and gold coast negroes, who have been accustomed to the planting of rice.”

Activity Activity Each group will be given a picture

of either rice production in South Carolina or triangular trade.

1. Feel free to circle or draw arrows to things you think are important.

2. Around the images, write down some observations or questions.

3. In at least 5 sentences write what you think life might have been like for any of the participants in this history.

Europe -Copper-Guns-Manufactured goods-Textiles

Africa-Enslaved men -Enslaved Women- Enslaved Children

American Colonies -Rum-Fish-Tobacco-Rice-Lumber-Cotton-Indigo

Caribbean -Sugar-Molasses-Slaves

Slaves, Sugar

Livestock, Rice

Rice, Rum

Slaves

Rum

Slaves

An Established Symbiotic Relationship

Source Citations Source Citations Pictures Atlantic map

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/walter.sargent/public.www/web%2520103/map%2520north%2520atlantic%2520historic.jpg&imgrefurl=http://faculty.umf.maine.edu/~walters/web%2520103/week%25201%2520umf%2520103_06.html&usg=__Lucltwvkr3i9YeEaFQnDfZinc1I=&h=378&w=496&sz=75&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=Ff3Hfga_yjsfBM:&tbnh=133&tbnw=152&prev=/images%3Fq%3DAtlantic%2Bhistoric%2Bmap%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1C1GGGE_enUS386US386%26biw%3D1024%26bih%3D651%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=366&ei=VUh1TNShO4nSsAP5scigDQ&oei=VUh1TNShO4nSsAP5scigDQ&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=16&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&tx=108&ty=44

Triangular trade http://gs2americanstudies.blogspot.com/ Europe outline http://cnx.org/content/m13082/latest/ Africa outline http://www.enchantedlearning.com/africa/rivers/outlinemap/ American Colonies outline http://www.freekidscoloring.com/13_colonies_map-16481.php Caribbean Outline http://www.enchantedlearning.com/geography/centamer/ Rice field http://docsouth.unc.edu/nc/king/ill283.html Sugar plantation http://abolition.e2bn.org/slavery_69.html South Carolina colony http://www.sonofthesouth.net/revolutionary-war/colonies/south-carolina.htm Indians and colonists http://texasliberal.wordpress.com/category/colonial-america/ Indentured servants http://www.newton.k12.ks.us/tech/13colonies.htm Triangular trade map http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/graphics/triangulartrade.jpg Trade map http://americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Display/265722?terms=rice%20triangular

%20trade&webSiteCode=SLN_AMHIST&returnToPage=/Search/Display/265722%3fterms%3drice+triangular+trade&token=604E5450CD369B842BD9F2343662BCB8&casError=False

Pictures of rice production http://docsouth.unc.edu/index.html

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Quotes Wood, Peter. Black Majority. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1974. 35,, 60.