Grass Family (Poaceae)
Native to China
From the early 18th century until the Civil War this variety of Asian rice was a major commercial crop in the coastal regions of the Carolinas and Georgia which generated enormous wealth for landowners. West African rice farmers were specifically targeted for the slave trade because of their expertise in rice cultivation.
Vast areas of the coastal landscape were transformed into a sophisticated system of irrigated rice fields constructed by the back-breaking labor of enslaved Africans who planted, cultivated, harvested, and threshed millions of pounds of Carolina Gold rice.
Listen to learn more: Access a short narrative here.
