Changes

===18th century America===

===18th century America===

[[Image:Plantation1790.jpg|thumb|420px|left]] Historians and archaeologists in recent years have rediscovered a great deal about the pre-1800 South. <ref> See Isaac (2004) and Kern (2005)</ref> Thomas Jefferson's parents operated Shadwell, a plantation in the 1740-70 period. The Jeffersons led lives of comparative cultural refinement, although Shadwellwas at the extreme western edge of the Virginia frontier. They created a personal "island" of gentrified culture in the Piedmont region, a homestead that virtually replicated the finer domestic accommodations and routines as well as "institutional structures, patterns of slaveholding and agriculture, and slave life" existing in the eastern Tidewater region at the time. Peter Jefferson (father of Thomas) was a successful planter, slaveholder, surveyor, and government officeholder. Jane (the mother of Thomas) was the educated daughter of a successful merchant; they shared a value system that focused their energy and talents on financial success and acquiring status. Shadwell's proximity to the Rivanna River, physical layout, main house and outbuilding construction, household furnishings, and the documentary record of the family's domestic and business activities reveal an extraordinary blend of rugged individualism and the social expectations of the planter class.

[[Image:Plantation1790.jpg|thumb|420px|left]] Historians and archaeologists in recent years have rediscovered a great deal about the pre-1800 South.<ref>See Isaac (2004) and Kern (2005)</ref> Thomas Jefferson's parents operated Shadwell, a plantation in the 1740-70 period. The Jeffersons led lives of comparative cultural refinement, although Shadwellwas at the extreme western edge of the Virginia frontier. They created a personal "island" of gentrified culture in the Piedmont region, a homestead that virtually replicated the finer domestic accommodations and routines as well as "institutional structures, patterns of slaveholding and agriculture, and slave life" existing in the eastern Tidewater region at the time. Peter Jefferson (father of Thomas) was a successful planter, slaveholder, surveyor, and government officeholder. Jane (the mother of Thomas) was the educated daughter of a successful merchant; they shared a value system that focused their energy and talents on financial success and acquiring status. Shadwell's proximity to the Rivanna River, physical layout, main house and outbuilding construction, household furnishings, and the documentary record of the family's domestic and business activities reveal an extraordinary blend of rugged individualism and the social expectations of the planter class.

===Plantation System in South===

===Plantation System in South===

The ante-bellum economy was dominated by plantations owned by rich white families and using slave labor. Historians define a plantation as having 20 or more slaves (of all ages). Cotton was the main crop in a broad swath (called the "Black Belt") that included most of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Other plantations grew tobacco (in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Kentucky), hemp (Kentucky and Missouri), rice (South Carolina) or sugar (Louisiana). Most slaves were owned by plantations, and slave culture has been extensively studied. The great majority of whites did NOT live on plantations, and farmed on a smaller scale or on a subsistence scale.  The plantation South had few large cities; the most notable were Charleston, SC, and Natchez, Mississippi.  In general the plantation owners invested all their profits in new lands and new slaves.  

The ante-bellum economy was dominated by plantations owned by rich white families and using slave labor. Historians define a plantation as having 20 or more slaves (of all ages). Cotton was the main crop in a broad swath (called the "Black Belt") that included most of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. Other plantations grew tobacco (in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina and Kentucky), hemp (Kentucky and Missouri), rice (South Carolina) or sugar (Louisiana). Most slaves were owned by plantations, and slave culture has been extensively studied. The great majority of whites did NOT live on plantations, and farmed on a smaller scale or on a subsistence scale.  The plantation South had few large cities; the most notable were Charleston, SC, and Natchez, Mississippi.  In general the plantation owners invested all their profits in new lands and new slaves.  

The system survived the Civil War, as the emanciapted Freedmen continued to work on plantation land, as hired hands, tenents or sharecroppers. Aiken (1998) notes the plantation after 1865 had scattered sharecropper huts (compared to concentrated location before). There were few towns so plantation owners provided a crossroads central place that provided a "furnish" store (to advance tenants seed, tools, food staples, against their share of the harvest) and other town-like services.  The blacks set up their own Baptist and Methodist churches; the preachers became both religious and political leaders.

The system survived the Civil War, as the emanciapted Freedmen continued to work on plantation land, as hired hands, tenents or sharecroppers. Aiken (1998) notes the plantation after 1865 had scattered sharecropper huts (compared to concentrated location before). There were few towns so plantation owners provided a crossroads central place that provided a "furnish" store (to advance tenants seed, tools, food staples, against their share of the harvest) and other town-like services.  The blacks set up their own Baptist and Methodist churches; the preachers became both religious and political leaders.

The system of cotton plantations collapsed in the 1940s as cotton picking machines drastically reduced the need for labor.<ref> See Virts (2006); Aiken (1998) notes plantations never entirely disappeared.</ref>

The system of cotton plantations collapsed in the 1940s as cotton picking machines drastically reduced the need for labor.<ref>See Virts (2006); Aiken (1998) notes plantations never entirely disappeared.</ref>

===Plantation Historiography===

===Plantation Historiography===

* Phillips, Ulrich B. ''American Negro Slavery; a Survey of the Supply, Employment, and Control of Negro Labor, as Determined by the Plantation Regime''. (1918; reprint 1966)[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11490 online at Project Gutenberg]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. ''American Negro Slavery; a Survey of the Supply, Employment, and Control of Negro Labor, as Determined by the Plantation Regime''. (1918; reprint 1966)[http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/11490 online at Project Gutenberg]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. ''Life and Labor in the Old South''. (1929).  

* Phillips, Ulrich B. ''Life and Labor in the Old South''. (1929).  

* Phillips, Ulrich B. "The Economic Cost of Slaveholding in the Cotton Belt," ''Political Science Quarterly'' 20#2 (Jun., 1905), pp. 257-275 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-3195%28190506%2920%3A2%3C257%3ATECOSI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I in JSTOR]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. "The Economic Cost of Slaveholding in the Cotton Belt," ''Political Science Quarterly'' 20#2 (Jun., 1905), pp.&nbsp;257–275 [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0032-3195%28190506%2920%3A2%3C257%3ATECOSI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-I in JSTOR]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. "The Origin and Growth of the Southern Black Belts." ''American Historical Review,'' 11 (July, 1906): 798-816. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28190607%2911%3A4%3C798%3ATOAGOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T  in JSTOR]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. "The Origin and Growth of the Southern Black Belts." ''American Historical Review,'' 11 (July, 1906): 798-816. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-8762%28190607%2911%3A4%3C798%3ATOAGOT%3E2.0.CO%3B2-T  in JSTOR]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7162%28191001%2935%3A1%3C37%3ATDOTPS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W "The Decadence of the Plantation System." ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences,'' 35 (January, 1910): 37-41. in JSTOR]

* Phillips, Ulrich B. [http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0002-7162%28191001%2935%3A1%3C37%3ATDOTPS%3E2.0.CO%3B2-W "The Decadence of the Plantation System." ''Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Sciences,'' 35 (January, 1910): 37-41. in JSTOR]

*Stampp, Kenneth M.  ''The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-bellum South'' (1956)  

*Stampp, Kenneth M.  ''The Peculiar Institution: Slavery in the Ante-bellum South'' (1956)  

* Virts, Nancy. "Change in the Plantation System: American South, 1910-1945." ''Explorations in Economic History'' 2006 43(1): 153-176. Issn: 0014-4983   

* Virts, Nancy. "Change in the Plantation System: American South, 1910-1945." ''Explorations in Economic History'' 2006 43(1): 153-176. Issn: 0014-4983   

[[Category:Colonial America]]

[[Category:Colonial America]]

[[Category:Early National U.S.]]

[[Category:Early National U.S.]]

[[category:Farmers]]

[[Category:Farmers]]