Boats, Bikinis, and Brittle Paper

[wilson]

I was working on a subtitle to the thread (as we academics are wont to do), but I ran out of space in the window. It wasn't going to be an exciting subtitle anyway, just "wilson's Summer 2009 Research Thread".

Anyway, I wrote in "Does wilson get a research thread?" that my project concerns intercolonial trade in and out of Charleston between roughly the 1730s and 1750s. I'm particularly interested in evolving human geographies; that is, the changing ways in which people interacted with the physical landscape and the cultural footprint of human inhabitance (be it European/creole, African/African-American, or Native American). Networks of exchange--commercial, informational, cultural, etc. are important to the project.

This is obviously the very short synopsis of my topic. Any questions, feel free to ask. As Lavabe intimated in his proxy post, and as colchar I'm sure would agree, it really helps me to answer any questions, however many you may have, about the project, in the interest of clarifying it ever more. So fire away.

[TillyGalore]

I thought this was the start of a Jimmy Buffett song. ;)

Where in Charleston will you be doing your research? Do you have a preconceived idea of what you are looking for or are you going in with eyes wide open?

[wilson]

I thought this was the start of a Jimmy Buffett song. ;)

Where in Charleston will you be doing your research? Do you have a preconceived idea of what you are looking for or are you going in with eyes wide open?

I will be mostly in the manuscript collection of the South Carolina Historical Society. They specialize in personal and family papers. I'm looking for any personal records of correspondence, business transactions, account books, etc. there. I want to see what kinds of contact networks Charleston merchants and the planters in the area maintained.
I will also hit up the collections at the College of Charleston (mostly later stuff, maps, photos, etc., but still worth a look) and the Charleston Library Society (probably not too much there, as they specialize mostly in newspapers and I can get most of that on microfilm).

[DevilAlumna]

* Inter-colonial trading - is that exclusive to the american colonies, or other british colonies such as in the west indies and/or Africa?

* Did Charleston traders have any favored trading partners? (Like a MFN status with, say, Virginia, but in trade wars with Savannah?) Was there much regional rivalry for trade?

* What were the other big american ports at the time? I'm guessing Boston, NY, someplace along the Chesapeake (Bal'more? Wilmington?)

* Was Charleston tied to trade only with other British-tied merchants, or was trading with the French allowed?

Hmm, does that get you started? ;)

[wilson]

* Inter-colonial trading - is that exclusive to the american colonies, or other british colonies such as in the west indies and/or Africa?

* Did Charleston traders have any favored trading partners? (Like a MFN status with, say, Virginia, but in trade wars with Savannah?) Was there much regional rivalry for trade?

* What were the other big american ports at the time? I'm guessing Boston, NY, someplace along the Chesapeake (Bal'more? Wilmington?)

* Was Charleston tied to trade only with other British-tied merchants, or was trading with the French allowed?

Hmm, does that get you started? ;)

We're talking commerce with any other British colonies. It's interesting that you should bring up the West Indies, as Barbados was a leading early source of English settlers for South Carolina. Renowned Duke historian Peter Wood, in his seminal work of SC history Black Majority, famously described the SC-Barbados connection as that of "the colony of a colony." These connections will build on my earlier work on Caribbean history.Especially in the case of sugar-producing islands (which comprised virtually all of the English West Indies), sugar production was so dominant that those economies had to have other trading partners from whom to acquire stuff like, well...food. Colonial partners were much more sensible and likely partners than domestic ones.

Charlestonians definitely had some favorite trading partners, but nothing officialized. Lots of stuff, for example, went to and from the West Indies (as mentioned above) and New England, but at the end of the day, all roads still eventually led to London. Regional rivalries were generally minimal, owing to the high degree of specialization in the various colonial economies, the complementary nature of colonies' production, and rising nationalistic sentiment with regard to the overall colonial venture.

In the period of my focus, Philadelphia, Boston, and Charleston were the three biggest ports (and cities) in the present-day United States. New York City was also gaining in size. Charleston was by far the biggest center of population and activity south of the Chesapeake.

Trading with other nations was prohibited by the Navigation Acts, but the flouting of that legislature often met with a blind eye. Estimates of the volume of illicit trade, however, are difficult to venture, because smugglers and the like naturally left minimal paper trails. British North Americans and especially West Indians of the age would have had considerable interaction with the French and Spanish, and especially the Dutch, who basically built the world's first sizable service economy in the 1600s. I will not spend too much time working on those exchanges, though, because such reconstructions are generally futile in light of their perpetual uncertainty.

[colchar]

I will be mostly in the manuscript collection of the South Carolina Historical Society. They specialize in personal and family papers. I'm looking for any personal records of correspondence, business transactions, account books, etc. there. I want to see what kinds of contact networks Charleston merchants and the planters in the area maintained.
I will also hit up the collections at the College of Charleston (mostly later stuff, maps, photos, etc., but still worth a look) and the Charleston Library Society (probably not too much there, as they specialize mostly in newspapers and I can get most of that on microfilm).

Can you use a digital camera in these archives? If so, do as they make it very very easy to copy as much material as possible.

[colchar]

We're talking commerce with any other British colonies. It's interesting that you should bring up the West Indies, as Barbados was a leading early source of English settlers for South Carolina. Renowned Duke historian Peter Wood, in his seminal work of SC history Black Majority, famously described the SC-Barbados connection as that of "the colony of a colony." These connections will build on my earlier work on Caribbean history.Especially in the case of sugar-producing islands (which comprised virtually all of the English West Indies), sugar production was so dominant that those economies had to have other trading partners from whom to acquire stuff like, well...food. Colonial partners were much more sensible and likely partners than domestic ones.

To what extent will your dissertation deal with the wider British Empire? I'm thinking of issues such as the rise of popularity of tea in Britain (for the non-historians, the increase in tea consumption necessitated an increase in sugar imports and this obviously affected imperial trade)? What about the expansion of British influence in India and its effect on trade elsewhere in the Empire? What of the triangular trade that existed within the Empire? And what of the slave trade?

Trading with other nations was prohibited by the Navigation Acts, but the flouting of that legislature often met with a blind eye. Estimates of the volume of illicit trade, however, are difficult to venture, because smugglers and the like naturally left minimal paper trails. British North Americans and especially West Indians of the age would have had considerable interaction with the French and Spanish, and especially the Dutch, who basically built the world's first sizable service economy in the 1600s. I will not spend too much time working on those exchanges, though, because such reconstructions are generally futile in light of their perpetual uncertainty.

Will you be looking at how legislation, such as the Molasses Act, contributed to the onset of the American Revolution?

[Lavabe]

I'm particularly interested in evolving human geographies; that is, the changing ways in which people interacted with the physical landscape and the cultural footprint of human inhabitance (be it European/creole, African/African-American, or Native American). Networks of exchange--commercial, informational, cultural, etc. are important to the project.

The term "Creole" is a very specific one, and differs from its use here in the Francophone versus its use in the US. About 4 or 5 years ago, I remember sitting in on a VERY relevant honors thesis in anthro at Emory. You could probably find it without much trouble. On the anthro side of this issue, I would imagine that Tracy Rone's work in SC would be relevant.

I don't want to sound crass or anything, but I'll ask you the dreaded, typical question that I imagine most historians routinely deal with:
Of what relevance is this in the world today?

I imagine you have a stock answer saved up for the significance portion of your diss grant. ;)

Cheers,
Lavabe

[wilson]

Can you use a digital camera in these archives? If so, do as they make it very very easy to copy as much material as possible.

That's the plan. I've also had good luck in the past just typing notes myself. I'll probably use a hybrid approach.

[wilson]

To what extent will your dissertation deal with the wider British Empire? I'm thinking of issues such as the rise of popularity of tea in Britain (for the non-historians, the increase in tea consumption necessitated an increase in sugar imports and this obviously affected imperial trade)? What about the expansion of British influence in India and its effect on trade elsewhere in the Empire? What of the triangular trade that existed within the Empire? And what of the slave trade?

I will deal fairly extensively with the wider empire. The connections between places (outlined above) are the sinews, if you will, of my argument. India, probably not so much; I consider myself to a fairly heavy extent an Atlantic historian.
Triangular trades will be important, as they demonstrate the complementarity of local colonial economies and the emergence over time of British American ideals and culture. The slave trade will factor heavily into my discussion, as a) one would be remiss, to say the least, in discussing 18th-century SC while neglecting slavery, and b) my adviser is a luminary among slave trade historians.

Will you be looking at how legislation, such as the Molasses Act, contributed to the onset of the American Revolution?

I'm not interested in the legislation, etc. per se, but rather in the emergent British North American (as opposed to Virginian, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, etc.) sensibilities and--dare I say--identity that formed preconditions for revolutionary agitation. Does that make sense?

[wilson]

I have arrived in Charleston. My sublet is right on King Street, in the heart of downtown Charleston's historic area, and I'll be walking a mile each way to and from my archive on cobblestones every day. It kind of hit me as I pulled into town today--Holy crap, this is finally my time, doing my thing! I have an appointment first thing in the a.m. with the research specialist at the Historical Society, who tells me she's already pulled a bunch of stuff she thinks I'll want to see.
After that, my cousin will arrive in the evening with her boyfriend, to spend the long holiday weekend with her best friend and me on the beach celebrating our nation's 233rd.
Good stuff.

[colchar]

The slave trade will factor heavily into my discussion, as a) one would be remiss, to say the least, in discussing 18th-century SC while neglecting slavery, and b) my adviser is a luminary among slave trade historians.

Who is your advisor?

I'm not interested in the legislation, etc. per se, but rather in the emergent British North American (as opposed to Virginian, Carolinian, Pennsylvanian, etc.) sensibilities and--dare I say--identity that formed preconditions for revolutionary agitation. Does that make sense?

It makes perfect sense. I didn't think you would look at the legislation itself (ie. the nuts and bolts of it) but assumed you would have to look at it because of its impact.

I still find it strange to hear you speak of 'British North American' because, although I understand the term as you are using it, I am also very used to hearing it used up here to refer to Canada as it was known as British North America. The specific reference to Canada as British North America is from the post-revolutionary era but the average person up here doesn't know that so they think it only meant Canada and I have just gotten used to hearing it used in that fashion.

[wilson]

Who is your advisor?

David Eltis.

[colchar]

It kind of hit me as I pulled into town today--Holy crap, this is finally my time, doing my thing!

Enjoy it. Once you start writing you'll have to give in to what your committee wants so the project won't be 'yours' during that time. However, when you've defended and are turning the dissertation into your first book you'll finally be able to do it the way you always wanted. Personally, I can't wait for that.

[colchar]

Who is your advisor?

David Eltis.

Is he Canadian? He did his MA at the University of Alberta and taught for years at Queen's which makes me think he is Canadian but he did his BA at Durham which might make him British.

[wilson]

Who is your advisor?

David Eltis.

Is he Canadian? He did his MA at the University of Alberta and taught for years at Queen's which makes me think he is Canadian but he did his BA at Durham which might make him British.

He's so damned British that it makes me want to rip my fucking hair out sometimes. He's also spent a good bit of time in Canada though...he was at Queens before coming to Emory.

[colchar]

He's so damned British that it makes me want to rip my fucking hair out sometimes. He's also spent a good bit of time in Canada though...he was at Queens before coming to Emory.

That makes sense seeing as he did his BA at Durham. And yeah, he taught at Queen's for ages.

[Lavabe]

It kind of hit me as I pulled into town today--Holy crap, this is finally my time, doing my thing!

Enjoy it. Once you start writing you'll have to give in to what your committee wants so the project won't be 'yours' during that time. However, when you've defended and are turning the dissertation into your first book you'll finally be able to do it the way you always wanted. Personally, I can't wait for that.

That varies with each advisor's advising style. Mine was pretty good, but I certainly do know some who are much more authoritarian/paternalistic.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

I have arrived in Charleston. My sublet is right on King Street, in the heart of downtown Charleston's historic area

Is Cafe 99 still there? I used to like that place back in the late 80's.

[wilson]

This update come to you from the steps of my archive, almost all the way at the foot of Meeting Street. The walk smack through Charleston's cortex this morning was a delight, if a bit sweaty. But hey, it's not a proper South Carolina summer if you're not sweating.
Turns out the Historical Society is right across the street from the building where we had my senior year fraternity formal...that'll take me back pretty much every morning.
I talk a lot about the "power of place" as a historian, and this neck of the woods has it in spades. I love it.