Rice and the making of South Carolina : an introductory essay

Originally, Carolinians grew rice on dry land, but early in the eighteenth century, cultivation spread to swampy fresh water areas. Until the 1850s, rice reigned supreme. But large-scale rice production was limited to the tidal marshes and inland swamp, while cotton became profitable statewide after the invention of the cotton gin. In its heyday, however, rice made a few hundred planters extremely wealthy. It also contributed to cross culturation and the making of Carolina as a rich cultural hybrid. In this essay, it is this aspect of rice cultivation that Professor Littlefield describes.

The Proceedings of the South Carolina Historical Association

Annually, the association publishes a journal, The Proceedings, which consists of papers presented at the annual meeting. James H. Hammond and the Southern Convention by Robert C. Tucker The Nesbitt Manufacturing Company’s Debt to the Bank of the State of South Carolina by J. M. Lesesne The Southern Movement to Reopen the African Slave Trade, 1854-1860: A Factor in Secession by Jack K. Williams Richard Yeadon, Confederate Patriot by John C. Ellen, Jr.