222 : The Atlantic 



While the crop thrived under these conditions, the white settlers suf- 

 fered. They either could not or would not adapt themselves to the 

 heavy work entailed in rice cultivation in the hot and humid sur- 

 roundings. Negro labor, however, was more resistant to the condi- 

 tions and large plantations, utilizing slave labor, developed rapidly. 

 Indigo formed a second commercial crop in South Carolina. The suc- 

 cess of this crop was almost wholly dependent on experiments car- 

 ried out by Miss Eliza Lucas and the industry did well until the 

 period of the Revolution. In 1775 the exported crop ran to over a 

 million pounds. 



Despite the fact that Virginia and South Carolina provided situ- 

 ations suitable for the employment of Negro slave labor, the slave 

 trade was slow to develop during the colonial period and was not 

 popular. Before 1700 some 25,000 slaves had been imported into all 

 the colonies. It is estimated that in the period between 1700 and 

 1750 the annual introduction of slaves from Africa ran between 

 15,000 and 20,000. The institution, however, was increasing before 

 the period of the Revolution for in the year 1771 the British ships 

 alone brought to this country 47,000 slaves and by this time Ameri- 

 can built and operated ships from New England were also engaged 

 in the trade and doing an aggressive business. 



The system operated in this way. A vessel from one of the New 

 England ports would load with rum and trade goods which were 

 carried to the slave coast in Africa. Here the cargo was disposed of 

 at various slave-trading posts along the coast and a cargo of slaves 

 put into the holds of the vessels. The ship then sailed as rapidly as 

 wind and weather permitted to one of the ports of the West Indies. 

 The ports of the West Indies served as the prime center of the inter- 

 national slave trade. Here the slaves were usually disposed of, 

 though many of the slaves so transported might later be shipped to 

 the North American colonies. 



A portion of the large revenue resulting from the sale of slaves 

 was expended in the purchase of sugar, molasses and other West 

 Indian semi-tropical products. The remainder of the proceeds from 

 the sale of slaves was carried home in the form of gold and silver 

 and negotiable coins. The vessel then sailed for its New England 

 port. Here the cargo was disposed of, again at a handsome profit. In 

 New England the molasses was converted into rum and the cycle 

 was complete. 



This trade was enormously successful since a profitable transaction 

 was effected at the end of each leg of the voyage. The most difficult, 



