How Did Rice Influence The Development Of South Carolina

1690 to 1740 in South Carolina was a period of major growth and development for the colony. It was during this time that rice was determined to be an important crop for the economy, negroes began being imported in large numbers, society was developed through anglicanization and creolization, the economy began to thrive, and slave rebellions and runaways increased in number and intensity. Issues and ways of life that were implemented during this period that allowed the colony to develop as a major producer of rice, a black majority in population, yet a white majority in social and economic power.
In the 1690s, rice was introduced to the area. Since it was not a staple in the European diet, whites had no idea how to cultivate the rice into the

Despite the blank canvas idea, society still followed the British model for the most part, especially after 1720 when South Carolina was officially under control of the English crown: those with money and land had the most power, and even though there was no official religion, church was still a major social platform and central to society as a whole. Anglicanization and creolization were major influencers in the development of society in South Carolina during this time. When looking at anglicanization, nearly every white settler was part of the church and baptized. Church was central to society, and even if you did not necessarily believe in the religion itself, you still went because it showcased your place in society. If you did not attend church every week, there is no way you could have a significant amount of power in society. On the other hand, negroes and slaves were very rarely incorporated into anglicanization. By the latter part of this period, negroes accounted for an extensive portion of the population, though only 3-5% of negroes were baptized. If negroes had been involved more in the anglicanization process, perhaps the rebellions and runaways would have decreased as they felt more like apart of the society rather than just

If there had not been such a strong divide between negroes and whites since the beginning of the development of the colony, the issues that arose later in history may not have existed at all or at least not as been nearly as severe. For example, rebellions would likely have not occurred as often as negroes would have felt more like part of society than the outsiders that whites typically treated them as. Or if negroes had not had the extensive knowledge of rice, the economy could have easily tanked or it would have taken significantly longer to find a product that would support the economy in the way that rice did. It seems that throughout history, negroes and slaves are not given near enough credit for the parts they play in society, particularly in periods of critical development like this