South Carolina’s Natural,

Human, and Political

Resources

Standard Indicator 8-1.5: Students will be able

to 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.
 Carolina’s Natural Resources
 Abundant deer hunted for
deerskins
 Pine forests to harvest for lumber
& naval stores
 Fertile land for farming
 Mild climate
 Long growing season
 Geographic conditions made
Lowcountry suitable for rice
planting
 Charles Town came major trade
market due to
 Good port
 Navigable waterways along coast
& into interior for shipping goods
 South Carolinians & Human
Resources
 Carolina’s people developed a flourishing
trade
 Carolina became a profitable colony
Economic Activities & People
 Colonists trade beads, trinkets, guns, & alcohol
to Natives for deerskins & furs
 Colonists enslaved Natives & ended good trade
relationship
 Carolina settlers from Barbados sold Natives &
cattle to island
 Colonists sold Naval Stores to Britain to make
ships watertight
 Colonists used African slaves to cultivate rice,
Carolina Gold: First Cash Crop
 Colonists grow indigo & make dye, Carolina
Blue: Second Cash Crop
 Carolina Cash Crops Bring Wealth
Rice: Carolina Gold
 Labor intensive crop
 African slaves had
knowledge of how to plant
rice
 Staple crop & cash crop
 Brought long term
prosperity
 Determination of settlers &
hard work of slaves resulted
in growing agricultural
economy
 First Cash Crop
Indigo: Carolina Blue
 Introduced by Eliza Lucas
 Immigrant from Antigua
 Planted indigo to make
family plantation
successful
 British government
offered a subsidy as an
incentive to growers
 Eliza shared her success
with other planters
 Second Cash Crop
 Political Factors Contributing to
SC’s Prosperity
 Mercantilism: Mother country controlled trade to export
more goods than imported
 By enforcing mercantilism mother country would amass
more gold & silver & become wealthy & powerful
 SC source of raw materials & market for British
manufactured goods
 Britain’s dependence on foreign trade was lessened
improving her balance of trade (exported more than
imported)
 Britain encouraged development of new products by
offering subsidies (bounties)
 Indigo planters received subsidies
 Rice & Indigo on ‘enumerated’ list of products that could be
sold only to Britain
Mercantilism Benefited Carolina
 Carolina planters had secure market to sell their
rice and indigo crops
 Britain did not enforce ‘enumerated list’ on
Carolina rice giving Carolina the advantage of a
wider market
 Britain was lax on enforcing most mercantilist
laws (salutary neglect)
 Neglect left English colonists free to develop
their economies without much interference from
Britain the mother country