South Carolina & Slavery(1670s-1740)

I. Intro & BackgroundII. Labor

A. Who?B. Why Slaves?C. Black Majority

III. Slave TradeIV. “Uneven Negotiations”

A. Task SystemB. African HeritageC. Whites’ FearsD. Resistance & Rebellion

V. Conc.

Key Terms• Malaria/Yellow

Fever• Middle Passage• Gullah• Slave Resistance• Stono Rebellion• Jemmy

Themes

1. Why/how did slavery develop?2. Life in a “Black Majority”3. Slave resistance

Background

• South Carolina’s settlement began about 1670; many came from the Caribbean.

#1 = RICE

• South Carolina’s main crop:

#2 = Indigo

Crops in South Carolina

• Indigo = dye for clothing

Indigo Plant

The Caribbean Colonies, 1660

Sugar Production In The Caribbean

In the 1660s, a French book illustrated the various phases of sugar processing for curious European readers. Teams of oxen (A) turned the mill, the rollers of which crushed the canes (C), producing the sap (D), which was collected in a vat (E), then boiled down into molasses (K). African slaves, with minimal supervision by a few Europeans (foreground), managed all phases of the process.

Who Were Their First Choice As Laborers?

1. Native Americans2. Indentured Servants3. African Slaves

Cost (ca.1680)• Indentured Servant: 4 £ ($480.00 US in 2002)• African Slave: 20 £ ($2,400.00 US in 2002)

Why Switch From Servants To Slaves..?

1. Slaves were slaves for life.2. African slaves had more knowledge of rice

cultivation than their owners!

Many Africans had natural immunities to these diseases.

3. Health reasons-Malaria & Yellow Fever were deadly to Europeans.

Black Majority

• By 1710, blacks outnumbered whites in South Carolina.

Slave Trade

• Largest forced migration in human history; involved about 11-13 million Africans

• Middle Passage: The voyage from Africa to “New World.”

Shock Of Enslavement

Slave Ship & Middle Passage

Trip to North America: 6-12 weeks

Tools For Middle Passage

Slave Auction Advertisement

Uneven Negotiations(Between Whites & “Black Majority”)

• Pace of work:– Owners-want a fast pace– Slaves- want a slower pace

• Solution = Task System• Slaves were given a “task” each day;

once completed their work day was over.

• On a daily basis, slaves often did not work with whites.

Holding Onto African Heritage

• Children were given “African” names.• Music & homes reflected African influence.• Gullah:

A language made up of English & African words.

White’s Fears

• Whites began to restrict behavior of slaves AND themselves.– Slaves could not work as messengers, barbers,

loggers, etc.– Whites had to join slave patrols & taxes were

increased—Fear of major REBELLION!

Slaves Reacted & Resisted In Many Ways

Completely Submissive & Obedient

Completely Resistant

Subtle Resistance

Up to 5% 5-10%

90-95%

Examples Of Resistance

• Breaking tools, faking illnesses, pretending not to know English or how to use tools, etc.

• Escape for short periods of time.• Stono Rebellion: example of Extreme Resistance

Stono Rebellion(1739)

1. In a town near Stono River, 20 slaves, led by a slave named Jemmy, broke into a store.

2. They traveled South, stopping at plantations along the way, involving between 60-100 slaves.

3. Rebels were surrounded by whites & slaughtered.4. Largest slave rebellion until 1830s; about 30

whites & over 100 slaves were killed.

South Carolina & Slavery(1670s-1740)

I. Intro & BackgroundII. Labor

A. Who?B. Why Slaves?C. Black Majority

III. Slave TradeIV. “Uneven Negotiations”

A. Task SystemB. African HeritageC. Whites’ FearsD. Resistance & Rebellion

V. Conc.

Key Terms• Malaria/Yellow

Fever• Middle Passage• Gullah• Slave Resistance• Stono Rebellion• Jemmy