History has written the enslavement narrative as a need for bodies to till the fields. However, the colonizers were very specific in their agricultural needs and knew just where to find the people who understood the science of cultivating and harvesting cotton, sugar cane, rice and indigo. The bearers of the knowledge were identified, captured/sold and shipped to first the Caribbean Islands and then the east coast of North America.
"There is a science to the irrigation system necessary to cultivate rice, and the West Africans were known to possess the knowledge and proven ability." -- Gullah Tour Guide
After Slavery, the formerly enslaved still possessed the knowledge and was needed to keep the economy moving. Some entered into sharecropping relationships where they were able to keep their own gardens. Later there was opportunities for them to manage their own farms. Black farmers encountered discrimination with loans and government subsidies. Many had to shut down the farms and other's preferred their children attend college and move into other industries.
Where are the black farmers today?
Impetus of Capitalism
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