The Gullah are an African-American community numbering about 500,000 living in the lowlands of South Carolina and northern Georgia, including the Sea Islands. Gullah refers both to the community and their language.
Colonial Era
Gullah history has its roots in the American Colonial period when slaves were transported to the Carolinas and Georgia from Africa. While some in the Gullah community attribute the name "Gullah" to Angola or the Congo, others relate the name to the Golas and Gizzis, groups who were living in what today is Liberia in West Africa.
Rice Boom
Fueled by a boom in the production of rice, large numbers of slaves were brought to the region in the early 1800s from communities in what are now Senegal and Sierra Leone--known as the Rice Coast of Africa. Once in America, the relative isolation of the Gullah communities in the Sea Islands allowed them to retain much of their African culture and language, which merged with English to form the distinct Gullah dialect.
Post Civil War
Following emancipation during the Civil War, many Gullahs became farmers and fishermen. More recently, many have joined the hospitality industry. While the Gullah dialect is not widely spoken today, it is still used by some members of the community. Additionally, much of the African-influenced culture of the Gullah lives on in their food, music and fashions.
Related posts
Cuban music is a mix of native, Spanish, African, Haitian, and British influences.The music of Cuba has been influenced by a convergence of different cultural backgrounds, and it includes contribu...
What is so special about the Whoopie Pie? Where did it originate from and why does America still love it so much? Where did the unique name come from? It has long been considered one of the most p...
The History of an iPodThe iPod has become an iconic gadget and completely transformed the way mainstream culture consumes music. What once was a beautifully engineered MP3 player has become a pock...
History of Wurlitzer PianosWurlitzer became a household name for piano production in 1935 when it began manufacturing the spinet model. This small upright piano was within the price range of the g...
The History of Women's FashionJust by glancing at the covers of old magazines, it's easy to see what styles were popular women's fashions during various decades of American history. What's fashion...
