Peter H. Wood
Encyclopedia
Peter H. Wood is an American historian
and author of Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion (1973). It has been described as one of the most influential books on the history of the American South of the past 50 years. He is a professor at Duke University
in North Carolina.
, Peter H. Wood was educated at the Gilman School
in Baltimore, Maryland, and Harvard University
. He studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and returned to Harvard for a Ph.D.
Wood wrote the original version of Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion as his PhD dissertation, which was awarded a prize. Published in 1973, it was part of major revisions in the ways historians studied African-American history. At around the same time, a dozen major books were published on American slavery
.
rice planters during the Colonial Era chose enslaved
Africans specifically from the “Rice Coast” of West Africa
because of their expertise in rice cultivation and its technology. The African region stretched between what is now Senegal
and Gambia in the north to Sierra Leone
and Liberia
in the south. African farmers in that region had been growing indigenous African rice
for thousands of years and were experts in cultivating the difficult crop. They were also familiar with Asian rice
, having obtained it via the Trans-Saharan trade
or through contact with early Portuguese shippers
. Wood demonstrated that Africans from the Rice Coast brought the knowledge and technical skills to develop extensive cultivation that made rice
one of the most lucrative industries in early America. They knew how to design and build the major earthworks
: dams and irrigation systems for flooding and draining fields, that supported rice culture, as well as techniques for cultivation, harvesting and processing.
By proving that Africans contributed their sophisticated knowledge and skills to the building of America and not just their physical labor, Wood set a new tone in Southern historiography
and opened an area of study. His book has been in print since it was first published in 1973. Wood's Black Majority gave rise to a tradition of scholarship on the African roots of rice cultivation in colonial America. It influenced the writings of other scholars, including Daniel C. Littlefield (Rice and Slaves), Charles Joyner (Down by the Riverside), Amelia Vernon (African Americans at Mars Bluff, South Carolina), Julia Floyd Smith (Slavery and Rice Culture in Low Country Georgia), Judith A. Carney (Black Rice), and Edda Fields-Black (Deep Roots).
In addition, Wood’s insights about the links between the African Rice Coast and the Gullah
people in coastal South Carolina and Georgia, modern descendants of the rice-growing slaves, led to reappraisal of their language and culture. It contributed to historians who have examined the continuities between African cultures and those the people created in different regions of the present-day United States. It also influenced the work of historian Joseph Opala
, who organized a series of notable "homecomings" to Sierra Leone for Gullah people.
s which introduced malaria
and yellow fever
to the semi-tropical "low country" region bordering the South Carolina coast. In addition, some of the surviving slaves likely carried these endemic
diseases. The mosquitos bred in the conditions of the rice fields, and as the rice industry expanded, so did the diseases they carried. Wood showed that the Africans were more resistant to these tropical fevers, because they were endemic
in their homeland. White colonists avoided the low country because of disease. Although planters maintained plantations on the Sea Islands, they preferred to live in the cities of Charleston or Savannah.
Because of the diseases and the expansion of large rice and indigo plantations, with their need for many laborers, South Carolina had a "black majority" by about 1708. In addition, the continuing importation of slaves from the Rice Coast meant that the people were renewed from specific tribal cultures, rather than being mixed. This demographic
environment is what enabled Africans in the low country to retain more of their cultural heritage than slaves elsewhere in North America. In addition, the slaves in the low country, and especially plantations of the Sea Islands
, had much less contact with whites than did those in areas such as Virginia or North Carolina, where whites were in the majority. Before Wood conceived his "black majority" argument, the origin of Gullah culture was not well understood.
In Virginia and North Carolina, by contrast, many slaves were held in small numbers by individual families on subsistence farms. Even those held in larger numbers on plantations experienced change as crops were shifted from tobacco to mixed farming. This increased their interaction with whites.
Professor Wood continued to write about Africans in colonial America. He teaches history at Duke University
in Durham, North Carolina.
Works:
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and author of Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion (1973). It has been described as one of the most influential books on the history of the American South of the past 50 years. He is a professor at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in North Carolina.
Early life and education
The son of Barry WoodBarry Wood
Barry Wood is an English former cricketer, who played twelve Tests for England as an opening batsman, as well as thirteen One Day Internationals...
, Peter H. Wood was educated at the Gilman School
Gilman School
Gilman School is a private preparatory school for boys located in the Roland Park neighborhood of Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1897 as the Country School for Boys, it was the first country day school in the United States. Gilman enrolls approximately 978 students, ranging from kindergarten to...
in Baltimore, Maryland, and Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. He studied at Oxford University as a Rhodes Scholar and returned to Harvard for a Ph.D.
Wood wrote the original version of Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion as his PhD dissertation, which was awarded a prize. Published in 1973, it was part of major revisions in the ways historians studied African-American history. At around the same time, a dozen major books were published on American slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
.
African rice thesis
In Black Majority: Negroes in Colonial South Carolina from 1670 through the Stono Rebellion (1973), Wood showed that South CarolinaSouth Carolina Low Country
The Lowcountry is a geographic and cultural region located along South Carolina's coast. The region includes the South Carolina Sea Islands...
rice planters during the Colonial Era chose enslaved
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
Africans specifically from the “Rice Coast” of West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
because of their expertise in rice cultivation and its technology. The African region stretched between what is now Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
and Gambia in the north to Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
and Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
in the south. African farmers in that region had been growing indigenous African rice
African rice
Oryza glaberrima, commonly known as African rice, is a domesticated rice species. African rice is believed to have been domesticated 2,000-3,000 years ago in the inland delta of the Upper Niger river, in what is now Mali...
for thousands of years and were experts in cultivating the difficult crop. They were also familiar with Asian rice
Oryza sativa
Oryza sativa, commonly known as Asian rice, is the plant species most commonly referred to in English as rice. Oryza sativa is the cereal with the smallest genome, consisting of just 430Mb across 12 chromosomes...
, having obtained it via the Trans-Saharan trade
Trans-Saharan trade
Trans-Saharan trade requires travel across the Sahara to reach sub-Saharan Africa. While existing from prehistoric times, the peak of trade extended from the 8th century until the late 16th century.- Increasing desertification and economic incentive :...
or through contact with early Portuguese shippers
Portuguese Empire
The Portuguese Empire , also known as the Portuguese Overseas Empire or the Portuguese Colonial Empire , was the first global empire in history...
. Wood demonstrated that Africans from the Rice Coast brought the knowledge and technical skills to develop extensive cultivation that made rice
Rice
Rice is the seed of the monocot plants Oryza sativa or Oryza glaberrima . As a cereal grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies...
one of the most lucrative industries in early America. They knew how to design and build the major earthworks
Earthworks (archaeology)
In archaeology, earthwork is a general term to describe artificial changes in land level. Earthworks are often known colloquially as 'lumps and bumps'. Earthworks can themselves be archaeological features or they can show features beneath the surface...
: dams and irrigation systems for flooding and draining fields, that supported rice culture, as well as techniques for cultivation, harvesting and processing.
By proving that Africans contributed their sophisticated knowledge and skills to the building of America and not just their physical labor, Wood set a new tone in Southern historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
and opened an area of study. His book has been in print since it was first published in 1973. Wood's Black Majority gave rise to a tradition of scholarship on the African roots of rice cultivation in colonial America. It influenced the writings of other scholars, including Daniel C. Littlefield (Rice and Slaves), Charles Joyner (Down by the Riverside), Amelia Vernon (African Americans at Mars Bluff, South Carolina), Julia Floyd Smith (Slavery and Rice Culture in Low Country Georgia), Judith A. Carney (Black Rice), and Edda Fields-Black (Deep Roots).
In addition, Wood’s insights about the links between the African Rice Coast and the Gullah
Gullah
The Gullah are African Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia, which includes both the coastal plain and the Sea Islands....
people in coastal South Carolina and Georgia, modern descendants of the rice-growing slaves, led to reappraisal of their language and culture. It contributed to historians who have examined the continuities between African cultures and those the people created in different regions of the present-day United States. It also influenced the work of historian Joseph Opala
Joseph Opala
Joseph A. Opala is an American historian who documented the "Gullah Connection," the historical link between the Gullah people in South Carolina and Georgia, and the West African nation of Sierra Leone...
, who organized a series of notable "homecomings" to Sierra Leone for Gullah people.
Gullah origins
Wood explained why the Gullah people have preserved so much more of their African cultural heritage than other black communities in the U.S. The slave ships coming from Africa brought mosquitoMosquito
Mosquitoes are members of a family of nematocerid flies: the Culicidae . The word Mosquito is from the Spanish and Portuguese for little fly...
s which introduced malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
and yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
to the semi-tropical "low country" region bordering the South Carolina coast. In addition, some of the surviving slaves likely carried these endemic
Endemic (epidemiology)
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not...
diseases. The mosquitos bred in the conditions of the rice fields, and as the rice industry expanded, so did the diseases they carried. Wood showed that the Africans were more resistant to these tropical fevers, because they were endemic
Endemic (epidemiology)
In epidemiology, an infection is said to be endemic in a population when that infection is maintained in the population without the need for external inputs. For example, chickenpox is endemic in the UK, but malaria is not...
in their homeland. White colonists avoided the low country because of disease. Although planters maintained plantations on the Sea Islands, they preferred to live in the cities of Charleston or Savannah.
Because of the diseases and the expansion of large rice and indigo plantations, with their need for many laborers, South Carolina had a "black majority" by about 1708. In addition, the continuing importation of slaves from the Rice Coast meant that the people were renewed from specific tribal cultures, rather than being mixed. This demographic
Demographics
Demographics are the most recent statistical characteristics of a population. These types of data are used widely in sociology , public policy, and marketing. Commonly examined demographics include gender, race, age, disabilities, mobility, home ownership, employment status, and even location...
environment is what enabled Africans in the low country to retain more of their cultural heritage than slaves elsewhere in North America. In addition, the slaves in the low country, and especially plantations of the Sea Islands
Sea Islands
The Sea Islands are a chain of tidal and barrier islands on the Atlantic Ocean coast of the United States. They number over 100, and are located between the mouths of the Santee and St. Johns Rivers along the coast of the U.S...
, had much less contact with whites than did those in areas such as Virginia or North Carolina, where whites were in the majority. Before Wood conceived his "black majority" argument, the origin of Gullah culture was not well understood.
In Virginia and North Carolina, by contrast, many slaves were held in small numbers by individual families on subsistence farms. Even those held in larger numbers on plantations experienced change as crops were shifted from tobacco to mixed farming. This increased their interaction with whites.
Professor Wood continued to write about Africans in colonial America. He teaches history at Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
in Durham, North Carolina.
Books and awards
- 1975, Black Majority was nominated for a National Book AwardNational Book AwardThe National Book Awards are a set of American literary awards. Started in 1950, the Awards are presented annually to American authors for literature published in the current year. In 1989 the National Book Foundation, a nonprofit organization which now oversees and manages the National Book...
- 1984, James Harvey Robinson Prize of the American Historical AssociationAmerican Historical AssociationThe American Historical Association is the oldest and largest society of historians and professors of history in the United States. Founded in 1884, the association promotes historical studies, the teaching of history, and the preservation of and access to historical materials...
- 1999, Symposium, 25th anniversary of publication of Black Majority, South Carolina Department of Archives and Historybr>
Works:
- Strange New Land: Africans in Colonial America (2002)
- With Elizabeth A. Fenn, Part I: "Natives and Newcomers: North Carolina before 1770", in Joe A. Mobley, ed. The Way We Lived in North Carolina (2003)
- Weathering the Storm: Inside Winslow Homer's Gulf Stream (2004)
- Contributor to Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States (2004)
Further reading
External links
- Wood, Peter H. "Winslow Homer and the American Civil War" A lecture on Homer's painting "Near Andersonville" and the painter's relationship to the Civil War. Southern Spaces, 4 March 2011. http://www.southernspaces.org/2011/winslow-homer-and-american-civil-war
- Review of Black Majority, JSTOR
- Review of Strange New Land