South Carolina African Americans – The Rise of Wage Labor

African-Americans in South Carolina had never enjoyed such freedom before, and it caused a great deal of agitation among white plantation owners. Their agitation was fueled by the South's scarcity of labor and the initially high price of cotton. In response, many of them formed "Democratic Clubs." These clubs were designed to counter the "radical" influence, and their members resolved not to hire radicals, or blacks associated with radical politics.

In time, the wage labor system gave way to tenancy. This was a tremendous setback as it made land ownership difficult, if not impossible, for the vast majority of blacks.

The following labor agreement was typical of the wage labor system. Executed in 1868 between freedmen on Kiawah Island in Charleston County and the plantation's owner, it stipulates not only payment, but also that deductions may be made and laborers dismissed. The agreement also stipulates that the freedmen most do "any kind of labour" the owner directs.