The Geographical Origins of Negro Slaves in Colonial South Carolina

The geographical origins of the Negroes in the Western Hemisphere have always been known, but the exact route between Africa and the present United States has never been clearly defined. Widespread Negro slavery was first introduced into the British Empire in the islands of the Caribbean. Negro slaves were among the earliest people to settle within the territory given by Charles II to the lords proprietors of Carolina. One of the reasons for the establishment of Carolina by the British was the need for a march between Virginia and the Spanish settlements in Florida and the French in the lower Mississippi region. The introduction of an alien element into the English culture within South Carolina necessitated some type of regulation. The slave trade passing through the ports of South Carolina had a far greater impact upon the future United States than its limited and immediate effect on Carolina.