The role of African rice and slaves in the history of rice cultivation in the Americas

This paper presents the botanical and historical evidence for the role of A frican rice (O. glaberrima) and slaves in the crop's introduction to the Am ericas during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. By focusing on cultu re, technology, and the environment the research challenges the perspective of the Columbian Exchange that emphasizes the diffusion of crops to, rathe r than from Africa, by Europeans. The evidence presented in this paper sugg ests a crucial role for glaberrima rice and slaves in the introduction of A frican crops to the Americas.