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Sweetgrass Baskets and Their West African Roots

Things to Do › South Carolina Legends › Sweetgrass Baskets and Their West African Roots

Sweetgrass Baskets and Their West African Roots is a story from Lowcountry, Mount Pleasant and Charleston area, Charleston County. The Smithsonian Folklife Festival page says the coiled sweetgrass basket tradition has roots in West African farming knowledge brought by enslaved African farmers to American plantations.

  • WhereLowcountry, Mount Pleasant and Charleston areaCharleston County, Lowcountry
  • KindHistorynot a ranking
  • Sources1named, linked below
  • CheckedOct 262026
Collected 0 of 21All legends

A note: The Smithsonian page does not mention the word Gullah, so do not attribute it there. The Town of Mount Pleasant pages were seen only in unofficial summary and are not used. Credit basket makers, a living tradition.

FAQ

Is the story of Sweetgrass Baskets and Their West African Roots true?

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival page says the coiled sweetgrass basket tradition has roots in West African farming knowledge brought by enslaved African farmers to American plantations.

Is this a legend?

It is a story with a documented core. The facts are listed on this page with their sources.

Where do these facts come from?

From the named sources listed on this page: Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Sweetgrass Baskets.

Sources

  1. Smithsonian Folklife Festival – Sweetgrass Baskets

Read on October 26, 2026. Stories are for fun; the facts come from these sources. How we check: editorial standards; spot a mistake? Tell us.

Cite this page: It's South Carolina, “Sweetgrass Baskets and Their West African Roots”, itssouthcarolina.com/things-to-do/south-carolina-legends/sweetgrass-baskets-west-africa/ (updated ). By the It's South Carolina editorial team. Free to quote with attribution and a link to this page; data and tables are licensed CC BY 4.0.