In comparison to the settling of the colonies in the New World, Carolina is well known for its economic prosperity and rapid population growth. While many people may credit this to the beautiful landscape and unique climate, Carolina owes its success to the rice industry that was based on the lives of the African slaves that were transported into the colony. Before the great rice boom though, Carolina was not the colony that many know it to be, and it was far from the state that is known today. In all actuality, Carolina was not the kind of place that most Europeans desired to settle. The climate was harsh and unpredictable, and did not allow for the more profitable agriculture such as sugar. The colony was also full of marshy swamps, animal life that deemed itself threatening, and mosquitos that were more than just annoying. However, as the French forces in the East and the Spanish forces in the South grew, the disinterest of the colony back in Europe became a more serious problem for the Carolina colonists.
Carolina was overseen by rights of charter by the Lord Proprietors, a group of eight English aristocrats under King Charles II. The Proprietors were comfortable with the economic gain that the colony was providing, but they were becoming increasingly concerned by the great number of French and Spanish attacks on various parts of the colony, especially Port Royal. The harsh fact was that the colony was weak; the population count in Carolina in 1670 only consisted of 200 colonists, and this small number could not hold their own against the powerful armies of the French and Spanish. The Lord Proprietors needed experienced colonists in Carolina, both to boost the economy in the lumber and pitch industries, but to also provide more of a resistance against any further attacks. This caused the Lord Proprietors to turn to the travel narrative for some assistance in publicity and promotion.
The travel narrative was not a new genre of writing in the late 17th century, having been used for centuries, but never before had the travel narrative been used so consistently as an advertisement for the places about which the author wrote. Many Europeans made trips to the New World and the Carolina colony, wanting to see the strange climate and creatures for themselves. Upon the return of the travelers though, the Lord Proprietors pushed for these travel narratives to be published, allowing more and more people to read a first-hand experience of Carolina and publicize its vast land and economic opportunities. If this weren’t enough, the Lord Proprietors paired the advertisements of the travel narrative with the promise of religious toleration, political representation, postponed taxes, and large amounts of land. This technique worked, too, and the colony grew from a population of 200 in 1670 to 6,600 in 1700. The travel narrative can be credited for this sudden population growth, creating the basis of a colony that would become the states that we know today.
Taken from Alexander Salley Jr.’s collection, Narratives of Early Carolina: 1650-1708, Thomas Ashe and Samuel Wilson’s travel narratives offer a glimpse into the climate and ecology of Carolina, and more specifically the Charlestowne area. Both narratives provide detailed descriptions of the land, soil, and agriculture while each of them individually describes the animal life and native populations, as well as a description of what to bring to the colony upon emigrating from Europe. While Ashe’s narrative was written as a letter to a friend and Wilson’s as a pamphlet recruited by the Lord Proprietors, the differences in the intent of the two writings gives them a unique feel all their own.
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