South Carolina & Slavery (1670s-1740)
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Transcript of South Carolina & Slavery (1670s-1740)
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