Justene Hill Edwards

of enslaved Africans being purchased or traded in Virginia.

And so this is within the kind of British colonial context.

And so we have about 20 enslaved Africans being traded in Virginia at this period of time.

And interestingly enough, if you read the historical record, it

It's kind of not this dramatic event as it's written.

John Rolfe is kind of talking about politics and everything, and then he says that, yes, 20 and odd enslaved Africans are kind of brought here.

And so...

Within the primary source, within the historical record, it's not written as being this extraordinary event.

But we know as historians that this is a remarkable moment, a dramatic moment that kind of catapults Virginia in particular into this broader trade of African slavery in mainland North America.

LESLIE KENDRICK

Very specifically, slave labor really helps build South Carolina, right?

for the growth and expansion of slavery.

And it was established at a period of time after Barbados had really kind of grown to be this major point in terms of slavery and kind of the exportation of sugar in the British Empire.

But it's really in the early 17th century when Barbados, of course, is an island colony.

There's only so much land there.

And so South Carolina is kind of founded as an extension, a satellite, if you will, of Barbados and the form of slavery that is.

develop there.

And so South Carolina is interesting for that reason, in that it is the colony founded for the growth and expansion of slavery.

And slave labor really helps to catapult South Carolina's economy into prominence because of this relationship between slavery and the major export at this time, which was rice.

Well,