Question

How widespread was sharecropping in the South in the late 1800s?

Answer 1

Answer: Sharecropping varied from state to state, but it was common in many places.

Explanation:

With the Civil War having ended slavery, Southern states still needed cheap labor to work on their farms and so they turned to sharecropping. As most of the South was plantation based, sharecropping took hold in many places.

Sharecropping however varied from state to state based on local laws and norms. In some areas, the sharecroppers were more at a disadvantage due to the laws passed by the state and this led to a lot of them living in abject poverty.