Carolina Snaps
Rice in South Carolina
Season 5 Episode 2 | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
Learn about the dark history of rice cultivation in South Carolina.
In 1685, John Thurber, a pirate, inadvertently introduced rice to America. After a storm damaged his ship, he stopped in Charleston, SC, where he met Dr. Henry Woodward. In exchange for assistance, Thurber gave Woodward seed rice from Madagascar. This exchange reportedly led to the rise of rice as Carolina's primary crop, and the importation of enslaved Africans.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
Carolina Snaps is a local public television program presented by SCETV
Support for this program is provided by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.
Carolina Snaps
Rice in South Carolina
Season 5 Episode 2 | 1mVideo has Closed Captions
In 1685, John Thurber, a pirate, inadvertently introduced rice to America. After a storm damaged his ship, he stopped in Charleston, SC, where he met Dr. Henry Woodward. In exchange for assistance, Thurber gave Woodward seed rice from Madagascar. This exchange reportedly led to the rise of rice as Carolina's primary crop, and the importation of enslaved Africans.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorshipDid you know John Thurber introduced rice to America?
He was born in 1649 and died at the age of 68.
John Thurber had accidentally brought the first shipment of rice to America on his return voyage from Madagascar.
John Thurber's ship was damaged in a storm and blew off course.
He stopped in Charleston, South Carolina, for repairs.
He then meets with doctor and explorer Henry Woodward.
In exchange for Woodward's hospitality and assistance Thurber gave him a bag of seed rice from Madagascar.
Woodward then planted the rice, which flowered so well in the marshy Carolina soil.
Within a few years, rice became the colony's primary crop and remained so in the modern era.
White planters were obsessed with rice.
They called it "Carolina Gold".
They imported more Africans to work their fields and created plantation infrastructure that forced tens of thousands of enslaved people to work from sunrise to sunset.
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Carolina Snaps is a local public television program presented by SCETV
Support for this program is provided by The ETV Endowment of South Carolina.