Sharecropping in the Post-Civil War South

Name: Sharecropping in the Post-Civil War South
Uploaded: 2020-05-01T13:17:55.000Z
Duration: 4 min 11 s
Description: Even though slavery is abolished after the Civil War, system of share-cropping quickly emerges that keeps blacks in a condition much like slavery.

The Impact of Sharecropping on African Americans

The Return to Near Slavery Conditions

After the withdrawal of Northern troops in 1877, African Americans faced conditions akin to slavery, lacking land ownership and often resorting to sharecropping.

Former slave owners resisted negotiating with African Americans, believing they could only maintain cotton production by coercing labor from them.

Understanding Sharecropping

The sharecropping system allowed farm workers to exchange their labor for a portion of the crop rather than cash payments. This system was heavily dependent on landowners providing necessary tools and seeds.

Each year, sharecroppers would borrow money against future crops. Falling cotton prices often left them unable to repay debts, trapping them in a cycle of increasing financial obligation.

Consequences of Debt and Labor

Video description

Even though slavery is abolished after the Civil War, system of share-cropping quickly emerges that keeps blacks in a condition much like slavery.