29 October 2014

Across the U.S., Day 23 - Another day in Charleston (SC)

Throughout the 1700s, rice production played an important role for South Carolina, mainly in the inland valley swamps of the Low Country. This labor intense crop cultivation however required cheap labor to be most profitable. The answer was: Africans captured as slaves and brought to the Americas. Those with expertise in rice cultivation were especially valuable.

Drayton Hall, built in 1738 by John Drayton, served as representative headquarter for his multiple rice plantations in the area. Between 45-50 enslaved Africans worked at Drayton Hall, either in the household or to maintain the property. I took at tour at this plantation house today. It's the oldest unrestored plantation house in the country, never modernized with electric lightning, plumbing or central heating.

Drayton Hall, plantation house on the Ashley River

The 2nd half of the day, I spent some more time on the history of slavery in the United States. Slavery was established in America by the Dutch when the first African slaves were brought to Virginia in 1619 to help in the production of tobacco and was legalized in 1641. In 1660, King Charles II founded the Royal African Company to import the "black gold". An estimated 12 million men, women and children were transported to the Americas by this slave trade, the majority to the Caribbean and South America. In 1807, slave trade was abolished in the British Empire. This led to the creation of an inter-state slave trading system. The Old Slave Mart in Charleston served for slave auctions where slaves were displayed and sold until 1863.

Slaves were divided into different classes, depending on age, gender, health status and skill set. An "extra man" (first class slave) was sold for $1,500 - 1,600, which equals $36,000 - 38,000 in 2007. By 1860, 57% of South Carolina residents were enslaved blacks. After the Civil War in 1865, the 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery.

The day ended with some more exploring of Charleston.

St. Michael's Episcopal Church

And where is the Scarlett O'Hara Road? 

More to come.


  1. Slavery still does exist, today we call them temps or interns...

    What a gruesome part of history, and who would have thunk that the Dutch came up with this?

    1. A very dark chapter indeed. And no, we are not done with it yet. I agree.