Final answer:
The late 18th-century history of South Carolina is characterized by the growth of slavery and rice cultivation, with enslaved Africans forming a central labor force, and enslaved women performing crucial agricultural tasks.
Step-by-step explanation:
The history of South Carolina during the late 18th century is significantly marked by the establishment and growth of slavery, particularly through the cultivation of rice. As the European settler population grew, they were outnumbered by enslaved Africans, who became the labor force in the fields. Notable works such as Wood's 'Black Majority' and Carney's research highlight that the African influence extended to rice cultivation practices, with women taking a central role in the process, mirroring the gender labor divisions seen in African agriculture. This period also saw the emergence of South Carolina's Black majority, and the adoption of Barbados slave codes that legally reduced Africans to property. Additionally, the period underscored the experiences of enslaved women who faced grueling labor in the rice fields, were depicted in literature, and were subject to the societal idealization of southern White womanhood. Historical texts such as Camp's 'Closer to Freedom' and Deborah Gray White's 'Ar'n't I a Woman' provide insights into the lives of enslaved women and their everyday resistance.