Rice and Slaves
"Rice and Slaves" is a thoroughly documented analysis of the relationship between white masters and their slaves in colonial South Carolina. The book's main idea is that white South Carolinians had preferences for slaves from rice-growing areas in Africa, especially Gambia. This preoccupation with the ethnic background of their slaves set South Carolinians apart from English settlers in colonies to the north. What interested white South Carolinians most was the ability of slaves to plant and harvest rice. The book includes numerous tables and statistics. This is one of many fascinating books I have read on the topic of slavery. As a teacher of American history, I found this book to be quite useful.