RICE CULTURE AND SLAVES
The knowledge and work of African slaves are credited for the success of 18th and 19th century plantations. The slaves provided much more than forced labor. They brought and contributed rice cultivation knowledge and skills from their homelands in Africa. Historical records indicate that rice planters placed a high value on slaves brought from the rice-growing regions of Africa and other parts of America.
The cultivation of rice on tidal and inland swamp plantations required much hard work in unhealthy environments. High summer temperatures and the fear of malaria or other diseases forced the wealthy planters and their families to summer retreats or townhouses located away from the swamp-bound plantations. The management of the plantation was left to a white, or, in some cases, a slave overseer and the remaining slaves. With a relatively high degree of independence, these slaves fulfilled the responsibilities of cultivating the rice and running the plantation.