Download - Thomas C. Cario Middle School

PASS REVIEW 8-1.5 SC Colony and Resources bring Prosperity
Enduring Understanding:
The human mosaic of the South Carolina colony was composed of indigenous, immigrant, and enslaved populations. To understand how
these differing backgrounds melded into an entirely new and different culture the student will . . .
8-1.5 Explain how South Carolinians used their natural, human, and political resources uniquely to gain economic prosperity,
including settlement by and trade with the people of Barbados, rice and indigo planting, and the practice of mercantilism.
It is essential for students to know:
South Carolina’s natural resources included abundant deer that could be hunted for its skins and pine forests to harvest. Carolina also had
broad expanses of fertile land, a mild climate, and a long growing season. Geographic conditions in the Lowcountry made it suitable for
rice planting. A good port at Charleston and navigable waterways along the coast and into the interior made shipping goods to market
possible.
As a result of the use of its natural resources by its people, a flourishing trade made the Carolinas a profitable colony. Initially, traders
obtained furs and deerskins from Native Americans in exchange for beads, trinkets, guns and alcohol. When some Native Americans were
forced into slavery, this good relationship ended. Because the early Carolina settlers came from Barbados, South Carolinians established a
thriving trade with this Caribbean island. Carolinians sold cattle and Native American slaves to the people of Barbados. South Carolina
pine trees were a source of pitch and tar (naval stores) which the British used for making ships watertight. The growing African slave
trade brought not only laborers but also their knowledge of cattle herding and rice planting to the Carolinas (8-1.4). Rice became known
as “Carolina Gold,” a staple crop and the source of long-term prosperity. The determination of the settlers and the hard work of their
slaves resulted in a growing agricultural economy. As an immigrant from Antigua, Eliza Lucas planted indigo because she was
determined to make the family plantation successful. Indigo was a plant used to make a highly valued blue dye and the British
government was offering a subsidy as an incentive to anyone who would grow it. Eventually, Eliza Lucas succeeded and shared her
success with other area planters. Indigo became a new cash crop for South Carolina. The problem with rice was that it could only be
grown in the coastal regions near the ocean. Indigo could be grown anywhere and It produced a blue dye that Europeans wanted.
Political factors also contributed to South Carolina’s prosperity. Mercantilism was an economic system in which the mother country
controlled trade in order to export more goods than it imported. By enforcing mercantilist policies, the mother country would amass more
gold and silver and become wealthy and powerful. South Carolina served as both a source of raw materials and a market for British
manufactured goods. This lessened the mother country’s dependence on foreign trade and thus improved her balance of trade (exports
over imports). The British government encouraged the development of new products such as indigo by offering subsidies (or bounties) to
planters who grew it. Both rice and indigo were on the ‘enumerated’ list of products that could be sold only to England. Carolina planters
therefore had a secure market in which to sell their crops. However the British government did not enforce this part of the law on Carolina
rice, thus giving South Carolina the economic advantage of a wider market. Indeed the British government was lax in its enforcement of
most mercantilist laws (a condition known as salutary neglect) and so the people of British North America were free to develop their
economies without much interference from the mother country.
Natural resources that helped South Carolina to prosper were deer and animals that could be hunted for its skins, pine forests to harvest,
fertile land for planting crops, a mild climate- not too hot and not too cold, a great port at Charleston, navigable waterways made
transportation easy. Traders got furs and deerskins from Native Americans in exchange for beads, trinkets, guns and alcohol. Cattle and
Native American slaves were sent to Barbados. Trade with successful crops such as rice and indigo helped SC prosper. African
Americans contributed to South Carolina's prosperity by providing the labor to the plantations which helped South Carolina prosper.
Their knowledge of growing crops like rice and raising cattle was also instrumental in the success for South Carolina.
8-1.5 HIGHLIGHTER READING WORD SEARCH:
Can you find them all?
Use your highlighter to highlight or underline the word(s) in the reading:
1. Highlight 5 of South Carolina's natural resources.
2. What crop was South Carolina's Low country suitable for growing?
3. What did traders get from Native Americans?
4. What 4 things did Native Americans get from trading?
5. What 2 things did the South Carolinians sell to people in Barbados?
6. What did the British use pitch and tar for?
7. What 2 types of knowledge did African Americans bring with them tot eh colonies?
8. What was the name for rice grown in South Carolina?
9. What crop did Eliza Lucas Pinckney introduce tot eh Carolinas?
10. What was indigo used for?
11. What was the name of an economic system in which the mother country controlled trade in order to export more goods than it
imported?
12. British government was lax in its enforcement of most mercantilist laws and this condition was called what?
13. South Carolina served as what 2 things for British manufactured goods?
14. Rice and indigo were on what list of things that could only be sold to England?
15. What were 6 natural resources that helped South Carolina prosper?
16. How did African Americans contribute to South Carolina's prosperity?