What was the economy like in Charleston, South Carolina, before the 1960s?
The economy in South Carolina was tied closely to the Agrarian nature of the colony. The low country was highly settled by English planters as well as their slaves from Barbados. Thus they primarily focused on the development of a stable crop. In the mid-eighteenth century, the dominant cash crops included indigo and rice. The swampy environment at times was challenging and could not support the new machinery. By 1919, the state production of rice declined to 4 million pounds, which was about 3% of the final output (Lander 2018). Therefore rice stopped being a significant commercial activity in South Carolina.
The textile industry was also among the most significant to take root in the piedmont and upcountry regions of South Carolina. The end of slavery, as well as the increasing shift to cotton by small farmers, led to textile factories being dominant in both the 19th and 20th centuries. Also, the presence of railway lines ensured a reduction in transportation costs and the growth of the town.
Indigo was a plant meant for dye production in South Carolina in the 18th century. However, the country could not compete with the West Indies because of its superior dyes (Greene et al. 2001). However, indigo survived and became a significant source of income in the economy.
The rice legacy lived on for a long time. However, it died and could not support the economy anymore. Other crops like cotton and indigo were ecologically fragile and could not live long in this region that was majorly limited and built for rice (Greene et al. 2001). The rice and other crop production were majorly done by the blacks and large numbers of whites. Without these crops, the large numbers of black people were left without an option, with the once rich region becoming one of the poorest nations. The nation began to rise again during the Second World War. In the 21st century, the South Carolina economy was built on forest products, service sector employment, tourism, and military installations.
References
Lander Jr, E. M. (2018). A history of South Carolina, 1865-1960. UNC Press Books.
Greene, J. P., Brana-Shute, R., & Sparks, R. J. (Eds.). (2001). Money, Trade, and Power: The Evolution of Colonial South Carolina’s Plantation Society. University of South Carolina Press.