Elizabeth Lucas: the Story of a Wise Colonial Woman
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Elizabeth Lucas: The Story of a Wise Colonial Woman Until the American colony in the West Indies Revolution in 1776, the (also known as the American colonies were Caribbean), on December ruled by the British. During 28, 1722. Eliza’s father this time, there lived in was the governor there. South Carolina a wise young woman. She showed the people how Antigua, West Indies to raise the indigo plant. She was known as Eliza Lucas. 1. The West Indies are also known as the Eliza Lucas _____. a. American Colonies b. Antigua c. Caribbean Elizabeth Lucas was d. South Carolina born in Antigua, a British Page 2 2. When was Elizabeth relatives in South Lucas born? Carolina. At the age of a. 1721 sixteen, Eliza came to be b. 1722 in charge of the family c. 1723 plantation. A plantation is d. 1724 a large farm with many workers who live there. This plantation was When Eliza was old worked by slaves. Many enough, her father sent of these slaves had her to school in England. worked in the West Her favorite subject was Indies. botany. Botany is the study of plants and how plants grow. plantation botany Eliza liked trying new things, especially with plants. She often got In 1738, Eliza’s seeds from her father. father sent his wife and These she planted in children to live with South Carolina. Free K-12 Worksheets and More www.studenthandouts.com Page 3 Eliza’s father sent But Miss Lucas was her some seeds of the one of the people who indigo plant. Indigo is try, try again. She had used to create a blue dye lost her indigo plants for coloring fabric. She twice. Once more she sowed some of these in sowed some of the seed. March. But there came a This time the plants grew frost. The indigo plant very well. Eliza was cannot stand frost. Her helped by slaves who had plants all died. learned to grow indigo in the West Indies. indigo Eliza’s father sent a man from the West Indies to her who knew how to get the indigo dye But Miss Lucas did from the indigo plants. not give up. She sowed The man did not want to some more seeds in April. show Miss Lucas how to These grew very well until make the indigo. He did a cut-worm found them. not wish the people in The worm wished to try South Carolina to learn new things, too. So he ate how to make it. He was off the indigo plants. afraid that if the people Free K-12 Worksheets and More www.studenthandouts.com Page 4 of South Carolina made Then Miss Elizabeth indigo dye, the price of Lucas was married. She West Indian indigo dye became Mrs. Pinckney. would go down. So he Her father gave her all would not explain just the indigo growing on his how it ought to be done. land in South Carolina. It He spoiled the indigo on was all saved for seed. purpose. Some of the seed Mrs. Pinckney gave to her friends. Some of it her South Carolina husband sowed. It all grew, and was made into that blue dye that we call indigo. But Miss Lucas watched the man closely. In a few years, more She found out, with help than a million pounds of from slaves on the indigo were made in plantation, how the indigo South Carolina every ought to be made. Some year. By the time of her family’s land in Elizabeth (née Lucas) South Carolina was now Pinckney died in 1793, planted with the indigo many people in South plants. Carolina had grown rich Free K-12 Worksheets and More www.studenthandouts.com Page 5 through indigo. And it was She did not give up. all because Miss Lucas did not give up. Summarize the life of Elizabeth (née Lucas) Pinckney in your own words. In the 1700s, people traveled by boat between Antigua and South Carolina. Draw a line to show the route Eliza’s boat took to travel from Antigua to South Carolina. Free K-12 Worksheets and More www.studenthandouts.com .