Documentary Film: When Rice Was King

The 2025 Horry County Museum Documentary Film Series continues with When Rice Was King. Part of the Carolina Stories Series by SCETV, this film tells the story of how rice became a major cash crop in South Carolina.

The cultivation of rice in South Carolina began in the late 1600s. By the time of the American Revolution, it had created the largest concentration of wealth in the American colonies. The knowledge and labor of those enslaved from Africa’s Windward Coast were major factors in the making of this wealth. However, South Carolina’s rice culture experienced heavy tolls due to the Civil War, emancipation and hurricanes. The economic and social impact of the state’s rice culture created a legacy that remains today.

The film is free to the public and will be shown at 1 p.m., Wednesday, June 18, at the Horry County Museum, located at 805 Main Street in Conway.

The Horry County Museum Documentary Film Matinees will continue throughout 2025. . For more information, call the Horry County Museum at (843) 915-5320 or e-mail hcg.museum@horrycountysc.gov.

For a list of films, visit our website.