The tradition traces back to the 1700s. These women are fighting to keep it alive through online retail.

Many African cultures in the United States have been fighting to keep their traditions and unique way of life alive, and now, an online retail outlet is helping the Gullah community in Charleston, South Carolina, use tech to reach a wider audience.

It used to be the only way to purchase one of the exquisite, handmade baskets unique to the culture was to physically go to markets in South Carolina. The artists relied on tourists to come see their pieces, and some of the weavers told CNN the income was less than steady.

The tradition goes back to the 1700's when slaves from West Africa were brought to the United States. They were forced to work in rice paddies, cotton fields and indigo plantations along the South Carolina-Georgia seaboard, where the moist climate and fertile land were very similar to their African homelands.