How “seasoned” enslaved Africans from Barbados built Carolina in 1670

Barbadian Settlers Bring Slavery System to Carolina

Carolina began with a plan to get rich quick. In 1663, King Charles II gave land to eight loyal men who then looked to Barbados for help.

The tiny Caribbean island had struck gold with sugar and slaves. By 1669, colonists picked up white Barbadian settlers and their enslaved Africans, then sailed to Carolina.

These Barbadians brought more than just bodies – they brought a whole system. Soon, one-third of Carolina’s people were enslaved.

Their forced labor and rice-growing skills built wealth that shaped America.

The historic site at Charles Towne Landing lets you step back in time to where this Caribbean connection first took root.

Eight Rich Lords Got a Huge Carolina Land Deal in 1663

King Charles II gave a giant piece of land to eight loyal friends on March 24, 1663. These Lords Proprietors got land between Virginia and Florida.

The king rewarded them because they supported him during the English Civil War and helped him return to power.

They won rights to collect taxes, create governments, and keep the best hunting areas. They offered settlers religious freedom and political rights.

Anthony Ashley Cooper became the main leader pushing the colonial project in 1669.

Barbados Sugar Farms Became the Model for Carolina

The Lords Proprietors sent people to Barbados in the 1660s to learn how to make money in their new colony.

By then, Barbados made huge profits from sugar farms worked by enslaved Africans. The tiny 166-square-mile island had become Britain’s most profitable colony.

White colonists spent weeks in Barbados learning everything from growing sugar to managing enslaved workers.

The harsh plantation system they saw became their model for Carolina.

Sugar farms took over most of the island, forcing small farmers to find new homes. Barbados created the first legal code for chattel slavery in 1661.

Three Ships Left England Full of Hope in 1669

Captain Joseph West led three ships from England in August 1669. The ships carried supplies, tools, weapons, and everything else needed to build a colony from scratch.

The Carolina, Port Royal, and Albemarle carried about 150 people ready to start new lives across the ocean. The ships stopped in Ireland to find more settlers.

The fleet left Ireland on September 17, 1669, starting a six-week journey to Barbados. Sir John Yeamans got the job of colonial governor and planned to join them later.

A Big Storm Destroyed Their Ship in Barbados

The fleet reached Barbados after forty rough days at sea, but worse trouble waited. A huge hurricane hit the island and completely wrecked the Albemarle.

Everyone survived the shipwreck. The colonists got a local boat called The Three Brothers to replace their lost ship.

While stuck in Barbados, Yeamans changed plans and put old William Sayle in charge as governor instead of himself. The group stayed in Barbados for five months, gathering supplies and recruiting Barbadian settlers.

White Barbadians who joined brought their enslaved Africans, who already knew plantation work and had survived European diseases.

Storms Pushed the Carolina Fleet All Over the Ocean

The group finally left Barbados on February 26, 1670, but their journey turned into a nightmare. Strong storms kept blowing the ships off course, forcing them to change direction many times.

The Port Royal crashed in the Bahamas and broke apart, killing many people. Another storm pushed the Three Brothers all the way to Virginia.

The Carolina limped into Bermuda on January 12, 1670. Sir John Yeamans took one look and quit, heading back to Barbados instead of continuing to Carolina.

The remaining settlers faced weeks of hunger, thirst, and fear.

Native Americans Helped Settlers Choose the Best Location

The Carolina finally reached land on March 15, 1670, arriving at Bull’s Bay, about thirty miles north of today’s Charleston.

The settlers first thought about settling at Port Royal, farther south, but changed plans after meeting local tribes.

A Kiawah Indian chief urged the English to build on the Ashley River instead, promising protection from the feared Westo Indians who attacked coastal settlements.

The colonists agreed that Ashley River location made more sense. They picked a high spot several miles upriver that Spanish ships couldn’t easily see from the harbor.

The location also gave them good protection against attacks.

Settlers Started Growing Food Right Away at Albemarle Point

About 130 colonists set up camp at Albemarle Point in April 1670.

They quickly built a fort and began planting crops, though they didn’t know what would grow well in this strange new place.

The settlers made a test garden where they tried everything from English vegetables to tropical plants from Barbados.

Researchers later found they even tried growing sugar cane, though Carolina’s weather wasn’t right for it.

The Three Brothers finally arrived at Albemarle on May 23, after barely escaping fights with Native Americans and Spanish forces near the Georgia coast.

Charles Towne Got Its Name from the King Who Made It Happen

The settlers renamed their community “Charles Towne” on November 1, 1670, honoring King Charles II who gave them the land.

Just three days later, the Lords Proprietors sent happy reports back to Barbados, claiming the colony was doing great, the Native Americans were friendly, and land was plentiful.

Early records show enslaved Africans among the first settlers, with most coming from Barbados where they already worked in the plantation system.

South Carolina’s first governor, William Sayle, brought four Black people with him in 1670, starting a pattern other colonists followed.

Charles Towne basically worked as an extension of Barbados in those early years, with strong Caribbean connections shaping building styles and farming methods.

Barbadians Rushed to Carolina Looking for Fresh Chances

The Carolina made a return trip to Charles Towne in early 1671, bringing 64 new settlers from Barbados eager for land and opportunity.

More Barbadian planters soon followed, bringing their slaves and servants to the new colony. It served as the main trading hub connecting Carolina to the rest of the world.

Within just two years, over half of all white colonists and enslaved Africans in Carolina came from tiny Barbados.

These Caribbean newcomers made up most of the colony’s population for nearly twenty years before other European settlers arrived in large numbers.

Ships constantly moved between the two colonies, carrying people, goods, and letters.

Slavery Came to Carolina Ready-Made from the Caribbean

Barbadian settlers brought their entire system of plantations and slavery with them to Carolina.

The Fundamental Constitutions of 1669 clearly stated that “Every freeman of Carolina, shall have absolute power and authority over his negro slave.”

From day one, enslaved people made up between a quarter and a third of Carolina’s total population. The Barbadians preferred bringing “seasoned” enslaved Africans who had already survived the deadly disease environment.

Though the colonists never officially approved the entire Fundamental Constitutions, they happily adopted the parts about slavery that benefited them most.

Rice Made Carolina Rich Thanks to Barbadian Know-How

Carolina planters successfully applied the West Indian plantation model to rice cultivation by 1690. The colony quickly grew into a wealthy slave society built around rice production.

In December 1679, the Lords Proprietors ordered the settlement moved from Albemarle Point to Oyster Point peninsula, where Charleston stands today.

John Culpeper, a Barbadian who served as the colony’s surveyor-general, laid out the street grid for the new town.

The connection between Carolina and Barbados grew so strong that centuries later, Bridgetown and Charleston became sister cities.

The rice plantation system created enormous wealth for white planters while enslaved Africans provided the knowledge and labor that made the whole system work.

Visiting Charles Towne Landing, South Carolina

Charles Towne Landing at 1500 Old Towne Road shows how Caribbean planters and enslaved Africans created America’s first rice colony.

Adult tickets cost $12, with discounts for seniors and kids. The 12-room interactive museum has hands-on exhibits about colonial life.

You can walk through an experimental crop garden with sugar cane, cotton and indigo plants from the 1600s. Take the self-guided history trail with audio tours, and catch cannon demonstrations on select dates.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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