Role of West African Slaves in South Carolina

In Black Majority, Peter H. Wood argues that West African slaves impacted the development of South Carolina sharply; rather than exerting a minor influence on labor, West African slaves played a pivotal role in developing the colony's economy. He claims that specific skills localized in the black slave community enhanced the colony's economic prosperity and that slaves played and active role as the ultimate majority in that social and political structure. Moreover, argues Wood, not only would South Carolina's development have been difficult without slave labor; it would have been almost impossible without the know-how the slaves brought with them from West Africa. This paper focuses on the this knowledge and on the expanding role of slavery in the development of South Carolina from the inception of the colony to the period that directly precipitated the Stono Rebellion, when black initiative resulted in armed resistance against white oppressors.

The first Africans arrived on what would one day be America in the early 1500s, but didn't settle officially until their immigration from an overcrowded British colony settled in 1627 on Barbados, in the West Indies. By 1660 a group of proprietors approached the King of England with plans to capitalize on the migrations taking place between New England, Bermuda and Barbados. (13) The most vociferous initiative for colonization came from commercially saturated Barbados. (14) Of course, in order do develop this new territory, sl

Related Essays

The Effects of Slavery on the formation and history of the African .... as many slaves fled north and west, Baptist churches .... Missionary Convention was formed by African-Americans in .... a vision of the possible future role of African .... (3283 13 )

A Distinct Case in the Antebellum US .... religion that evolved in the West Indies, that .... color played a useful social role in the .... new opportunities also began transforming African-American consciousness .... (4999 20 )

African-American Protest Music from the 60s .... way to approach an understanding of the role of music .... improvised verses widespread in West Africa to .... was a constant unwelcome companion to African-Americans in .... (5136 21 )

SLAVERY & THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION .... institution of slavery of blacks (African Americans) in .... conflicting interests of east and west were more .... Connecticut delegation played a key role in shaping .... (3915 16 )

Civil War and Reconstruction .... to Civil War was the expansion of US territories west. .... increased the status and rights of African Americans .... and women's groups took on a great role of activism .... (1874 7 )

r knowhow" was a distinct consideration in the choice of black slave labor over other sources. (56) Unlike the colonists, the West African slaves were "widely familiar with rice planting." (59) And, argues Wood, hundreds of slaves were more familiar with the planting, processing and cooking of rice than were those who owned them. Thus black slaves were crucial to the success of rice as a staple of the economy--to suggest that they merely helped harvest the rice would be to understate their critical role. (62) In addition to their contributions of labor and skill, black slaves possessed certain physical attributes as well. Their "partial immunity" to lowland diseases, argues Wood, contributed significantly to their wide-spread use in Carolina. (83) Though the black slave population was susceptible to a few notable health problems--those related to the colder temperatures in South Carolina for example--they were nearly immune to the most severe contagion to ravage South Carolina, yellow fever. Wood reports that several doctors noted that black slaves were less likely to suffer anything more than a mild attack of the fever and that, once they did, they were cured quickly and with relative ease. (83) The European slave owners

Category: History - R