Name/Title
Rich Swamps and Rice Grounds: The Specialization of Inland Rice Culture in the South Carolina Lowcountry, 1670-1861Entry/Object ID
2012.002.087Description
Abstract: Discusses the environmental and technological complexity of South Carolina inland rice plantations from their inception at the turn of the 17th century to their institutional collapse during the Civil War. Inland rice cultivation provided a foundation for the South Carolina colonial plantation complex and enabled planters’ participation in the Atlantic economy, dependence on enslaved labor, and dramatic alteration of the natural landscape. Also, the growing population of enslaved Africans led to a diversely acculturated landscape unique to the Southeastern Coastal Plain. Unlike many historical interpretations that categorize inland rice cultivation in a universal and simplistic manner, this study explains how agricultural systems varied among plantations. By focusing on planters’ and slaves’ alteration of the inland topography, this interpretation emphasizes how agricultural methods met the demands of the local environment. Inland cultivation began as a simple process for growing rice by taking advantage of available sites, yet enslaved laborers spent more energy refining old inland fields and creating new landscapes as the demand for the crop and the land increased. Moreover,planters had to modify a general cultivation model to fit within the diverse landscapes of the Coastal Plain. By paying detailed attention to Lowcountry topography, this study explains how the complex layering of soil and water presented people with a landscape to construct their cultural identity. This study also discusses how rice cultivators worked within these ecological
boundaries to construct successful rice plantations and an important global agricultural commodity.
ix, 318 p. : ill., mapsCollection
Pamphlets, Guidebooks, Reports, Theses/DissertationsAcquisition
Accession
2012.002.Source or Donor
New Library Catalog Records (2012)Acquisition Method
Found in CollectionLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
ThesisNomenclature Sub-Class
Literary WorksNomenclature Class
Documentary ObjectsNomenclature Category
Category 08: Communication ObjectsLOC Thesaurus for Graphic Materials
IrrigationSearch Terms
Rice plantations--South Carolina--History, Rice--South Carolina--History, Rice farmers--South Carolina, Slavery--South Carolina--History, Rice--Planting--South Carolina--HistoryPublication Details
Author
Smith, Hayden RosDate Published
2012Call No.
SB191 .R5 S657 2012Other Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Other NumberOther Number
P345Location
Location
Shelf
Books-PamphletsRoom
Margaretta P. Childs ArchivesBuilding
Missroon HouseCategory
PermanentDate
February 7, 2023General Notes
Note
Notes: By Hayden Ros Smith.
Doctoral thesis, University of Georgia at Athens, 2012.
Includes bibliographical references (p [286]-319).
INDEX WORDS: Rice cultivation, Slavery, Landscape, Drainage, Irrigation, Coastal Plain, Lowcountry, Charleston, Ashley River, Cooper River, Wando River, Edisto River, Biggin Basin, Rantowles Basin, Limerick Plantation, Cypress Grove, Back River Plantation, Charleywood
Plantation, Fairlawn Plantation, Clayfield Plantation, Wythewood Plantation, Windsor Plantation, Jericho Plantation, Wantoot Plantation, Woodboo Plantation, Pooshee Plantation, Santee Canal
Sent via email by the author to Katherine Pemberton on 12/6/2012.Created By
admin@catalogit.appCreate Date
December 10, 2012Updated By
admin@catalogit.appUpdate Date
February 17, 2023
