The Beginning

Winyah Bay, South Carolina, USA These places, where the fresh water meets the ocean, are the birthplace of numerous species, flora and fauna. Coastal wetlands and mangroves offer a resilient buffer to inland communities against ocean storms. The coastal plains to the north and south of Charleston, with their unique soils, winding slow rivers, and tidal ebb and flow, proved to be uniquely ideal for the growing of rice. The production and transaction of this crop, and the links to the institution of slavery, changed the history of the USA.