Question

How were subsistence crops different from cash crops in the Southern colonies?

Answer 1

Subsistence agriculture is a self-sufficiency farming system in which the farmers focus on growing enough food to feed themselves and their entire families.A cash crop or profit crop is an agricultural crop which is grown for sale to return a profit. It is typically purchased by parties separate from a farm.

Answer 2

These were the two types of crops that were grown in the South. Subsistence crops refers to the crops that were grown in order to feed the family that harvested them. Therefore, they were only needed in quantities that were sufficient to feed the family. On the other hand, cash crops were crops intended to be sold for money. In the South, these included tobacco, cotton and indigo. As cash crops were sold, large quantities were preferable, and the desire for higher production motivated the creation of large plantations.