Lens on history

[John Lee]

This image comes from Alan C. Collin's 1935/1962 textbook The Story of America in Pictures. The illustrations depicts colonial settlers in the 18th century Carolinas. The text accompanying the illustration suggest difference between North and South Carolina. I reads...

"Although some colonists had filtered southward from Virgina the settlement of the region between that colony and Florida was placed by the king in the hands of eight of his friends, who became the Proprietors. Two regions developed, bearing the names North Carolina and South Carolina. The latter, with important West Indian connections, the investment of greater capital, and the cultivation of rice and indigo on plantations worked by Negro slaves, became the richer and more aristocratic. North Carolina was relatively poor, and democratic. Both passed safely through the dangerous Indian wars. After much disorder, both colonies became royal colonies when the Proprietors sold their rights to the crown."



This text and the accompanying illustration suggest a view of the past. Using this view (or interpretation) as a lens, read the images below of the colonial period in the Carolinas. Also read the entry from Wikipedia on The Province of Carolina and consider the images using the Wikipedia article as a different lens.


South Carolina Colony: View of Charleston Harbor

South Carolina Colony: Southell and Followers Seizing the South Carolina Government

North Carolina Colony: Settlers Cabin

North Carolina Colony: Carolina Rice Field

[Chris Touch]

The differences are obvious as to the the wikipedia version and the visual illustrations. The visual illustrations would appeal to the students because they are dramatic and show the vewpoint of history at face value. The wikipedia is informative but is also very abbreviated. Two images that stand out are the rebellion against the proprietors and the settlers cabin.

[Lauren Ward]

This is a very interesting way of interpreting two versions of what should be the same information. The visual illustrations leave much to the imagination and allow us to conjure up our own interpretations while the Wikipedia article fills in all the cracks. I think that when presenting these two versions you must preface it with details about them both, such as why are they different and what can we infer from their differences.

[David Moseley]

The third picture displays the poorer and more democratic aspects that Collins notes in his comments on North Carolina. There are no slaves pictured, as would be expected, and a very simple existence. The fact that the colonies rebelled from their proprietors is not hard to imagine given this lifestyle. This picture is one that shows a culture that naturally breeds independence and a lack of loyalty to any sort of oppressive government. It also shows a very rugged lifestyle that is naturally unprofitable for men looking to obtain tax revenue from North Carolina.

[Jonathan S. List]

Carolina Rice Field:
I (Collins) North Carolina is less wealthy than South Carolina. While South Carolina had connections with the 'West Indies,' and could trade with them for some goods and services, North Carolina had to provide for itself without relying on foreign trade. These men in the fields are working to provide both a cash & sustenance crop from their labors. Rice can provide some income, but also provides food if the income is not substantial.

II (Wikipedia) North Carolina, home of the Rogue's Harbor on the Albemarle, has expressed a streak of independence since the early days of colonization. The men and women who settled the Albemarle area did so without a royal write or decree, thus they were operating outside the law. This idea of independence carried North Carolina forward, encouraging the citizens of the region to strive for self-dependence. Cash crops were good, but being able to provide food for yourself was better.

[Lindsey Dowling]

Collins concludes that is was due to South Carolina's connections with the West Indies and their cultivation of plantations by slaves whose crop output was primarily indigo and rice that led to its wealth by passing that of its northern counterpart. We see in these pictures NC is being depicted as less civilized. We see the Charleston Harbor as well as a court hearing for SC and we see only a small cabin and rice farmers for NC. Collins would then in turn suggest that these pictures were telling the story of a more wealthy civilized SC and its poorer, country neighbor to the North. The wikipedia article on the Province of Carolina also implies that NC was less aristocratic and more democratic in nature. However, it mentions that after uprisings SC was given a royal governor whereas NC was not. Therefore SC's aristocratic nature stemmed from a proper governor which allowed the colony to grow more quickly.

[Charley Norkus]

The Collins pictures and caption left me with the distinct impression of North Carolina as poor (look at those poor suckers, trying to hoe that hardpacked dirt; they can't even scratch the surface!), and South Carolina as wealthy! (Look at that finely built and highly populated city and harbor!) The Wikipedia article briefly mentions the faster development of Charleston over the Albermarle/Chowan and Cape Fear settlements, but it is mostly about the politics of who controls the Carolina colony/ies. Collins' perception is the traditional view that was passed along and employed from time to time to help explain other historical developments, e.g., re: the Civil War was a rich man's war (started by South Carolina) but a poor man's fight (NC soldiers "first at Bethel, farthest at Gettysburg, last at Appamattox").

[Jason Bolchalk]

As I expected, the description coming from Collins' book is very short and to the point where as the ones listed on Wikipedia are trying to be a little more detailed. The illustrations show much of what Collins tried to express in his writing that North Carolina was more of a working class, poorer colony, while South Carolina with its access to the coast and connections to trade routes flourished. The Wikipedia article tries to give the reader more a non-biased story about how the split came to be and then how these two colonies evolved.

[John Jackson]

Third picture: North Carolina Colony, Settler's Cabin.

The settlers in North Carolina are a somewhat destitute and unpriveliged people. Their clothes are unremarkable and plain, and they appear to be denied the luxuries of the people in their southern neighboring colony. Living conditions for these people are primitive, as they have made their dwelling out of rough cut timber, sticks, and what appears to be moss or tree branches. There appears to be no other colonists nearby, as these people live among the woods and fields. They have no slaves and appear to be self sustaining.

[Kyle Moore]

I decided to look at the view of Charleston harbor.

Looking at it from the perspective of the Collin's textbook, I see a harbor with a high amount of trade due to the West Indies connections. The town is rich, as can be seen because of the number and quality of the buildings. It needed a lot of investment to get off the ground, but became a town of merchants.

Looking at it from the perspective of the Wiki article, I see a harbor city which didn't have any issues developing because of its natural harbor, and being the seat of government for the province. It's also a place where the West Indies merchants found a good place to buy and sell goods.

[Alice Harmon]

3rd picture: North Carolina Colony: A Settlers Cabin
From Collins interpretation of the Carolina's and their early settlement we see the picture of "North Carolina Colony: A Settlers Cabin" through the lens of a poor and less structured environment. The text as well as the image of the poor shack surrounding by peasants and one loan mule creates an image of a poor urban society that had little realm of social development, unlike Virginia and Florida which were much more substantial areas during this time. The wooded area surrounding the shack as well as the presence of men, women and a child suggests a much more agricultural and familial structure - one that might be seen in a less socially developed society. Looking at the same picture through the Wiki lens it might be described as the land that was given to the Proprietors of the King - suggesting that it was this blank area that was given to these 8 men. The focus on political disagreement and government dissent may be seen through this picture as a unorganized, underdeveloped area that had little governmental support. Again the focus on the poorness of North Carolina versus the more wealthy South Carolina is represented by the shack in the picture. The Wiki article focuses a lot more on the breakdown of the proprieters and how the one who was unwilling to sell his ownership to King owned land in North Carolina, maybe this picture is a representation of the underdeveloped area that this 8th proprietor refused to sell.