After the Civil War, a central element of the Southern economy – slavery – was abolished. As newly freed people sought rightful payment for farming and former masters strove to maintain their control and profits, a system of sharecropping and tenant farming developed. In this lesson, students will learn about the history of sharecropping and tenant farming through a Power Point presentation and discussion, photo analysis, and reading primary source documents. Students will apply their knowledge creatively by writing and performing a role play between a sharecropper and landowner.
