Sharecropping

Question

Sharecropping

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Sharecropping was a system that emerged in the post-Civil War South, which allowed tenant farmers, including many freed slaves, and landowners to share the risks and benefits of farming. Contracts were often renegotiated annually, and the nature of these agreements typically offered little incentive for tenants to make long-term investments in the land, as they might not reap the benefits of these improvements. This system also gave freed slaves more control over their work compared to the rigid schedules of slavery, though it was still fraught with exploitation and inequality.