Final answer:
The main contributors to indigo cultivation were slaves with essential agricultural know-how and Eliza Lucas, who managed to successfully grow indigo and extract blue dye in Carolina, leading to significant exports by 1748.
Step-by-step explanation:
The main contributors to the cultivation of indigo were slaves and Eliza Lucas. Slaves, skilled in the agricultural techniques of indigo cultivation, played a crucial role in its production especially after the Stono Rebellion when fears of more revolts were outweighed by economic interests. The first significant success in indigo cultivation in Carolina came through Eliza Lucas, who, in 1738 at 16 years of age, began experimenting with indigo seeds sent by her father from the West Indies. By 1748, South Carolina had become a major exporter of indigo, thanks to Lucas's successful extraction of dye which complemented existing rice crops.
Africans from the Windward Coast who were brought to Carolina as slaves were also instrumental in the indigo trade, bringing with them vital knowledge and skills for its cultivation and processing. This was exemplified by the large influx of Africans into South Carolina between 1750 and 1775, many of whom had material cultural knowledge and the agricultural skills necessary for effective indigo and rice production.