Sue & Charles Sail Ariel-: Monday Touring Georgetown

This is the main Harbor which has boats and restaurants to make a lovely walk.
On Monday we decided to tour Georgetown. We did a jeep pulled touring car which showed us many of the Georgian style houses built back in the 1770's. The brick was obtained from the discarded ballast when boats came to port and unloaded their light cargo, taking on heavier cargo. There were no means to get bricks except through this exchange as a port town.

Georgetown had 15 large plantations which grew rice ( Carolina rice) and at that time were the largest port exporting rice in the world. The many slaves they had were mostly from rice producing countries from west Africa. They were very good at growing rice and brought their talents here. The population was about 15 % white with the rest being slaves or blacks. One might expect racial unrest but the slaves were treated humanly. In many cases the plantation families took their slaves to church with the whole family as they slaves were in charge of their children's care and values.

If a slave was able to pay for their passage from Africa and what ever debt was owed they could actually become free and eventually owned homes in the same neighborhoods with the plantation owners.

Early on the plantation owners did not stay out in the fields where the rice was being grown because it was dangerous to them. Malaria was rampid in those marshes, but the blacks in some case had sickle cell anemia so the malaria did not affect them.

The low lying ground was perfect for growing rice as it could flood easily. It was imperative to keep salt water out of the fields or rice would not grow for three years.

There were many gorgeous Georgian style homes on the tour. One design featured a divided stair case so that a gentleman could walk a lady to start up one side of stairs and then he turned and quickly ran up the opposing stair then down her stairway to assist her up the remainer of her stairs. This dance was to preserve any immodesty that might occur as she adjusted her hoop shirt to manuever up her set of stairs. He should not see as much as her ankles in those days,. so he could not walk behind her up the same set of stairs. Frequently there was another entrance to the house under those two opposing stairs for the slaves to come into the lower level at their quarters.

This is the area where the wooden boat show and other events are held. We missed it.