Indigo and Its Beginnings in South Carolina

Indigo and Its Beginnings in South Carolina. . , Historically, indigo dye was extracted from three different plants of the genus Indigofera: I. suffruticosa, from South and Central America, and what is grown here, I. tinctoria from Asia; and I. arrecta, from Africa. , Eliza Lucas Pinckney, great-aunt of Charles Pinckney of Snee Farm Plantation, and her enslaved workers were the first people in the colonies to successfully cultivate indigo commercially in 1744. Pinckney shared her seeds with other planters, who learned how to efficiently grow large quantities of indigo. These improved growing techniques made indigo dye a dominant export from Charleston in the 1700s. At its peak in 1775, indigo dye exported from the colony of South Carolina to Great Britain weighed 1,122,200 pounds and was worth £242,295, or approximately $28 million in the United States today. , Chemically Extracting Dye from Indigo Plants Is a Labor-Intensive Process, Leaves and twigs from indigo plants are soaked in water to allow the naturally occurring protein indican to be extracted through fermentation. The plant materials are then discarded. , Hydrated lime is added to the liquid and repeatedly stirred to help pull oxygen into the solution. Solids precipitate to the bottom of the container, and once excess liquid is poured off, a mud-like paste remains. This paste is dried into bricks. , Indigo dye is not soluble in water and must be dissolved in a highly basic solution. Historically, different fluids were used to dissolve the indigo dye, but today lab-produced chemicals are most efficient. Lye is used during demonstrations here. , Once the indigo dye is mixed with a dissolving fluid, it is ready to dye textiles. Textiles that are submerged into the solution begin to change color and appear pale greenish blue as they are removed. They quickly take on the desires deep blue color as they draw in oxygen. The time required for dyeing depends on the strength of the solution. Textiles can be repeatedly submerged to achieve darker hues. , Today, nearly all commercial indigo dyeing used lab-synthesized indigo. Thanks to the staff at Kingsley Plantation in Timucuan Ecological and Historical Preserve for sharing their knowledge of indigo dye extraction and the dyeing process.