Sharecropping

Real World Example

After the Civil War, many freed slaves and poor whites in the Southern United States needed work and landowners needed labor to farm their land. Sharecropping was a system where landowners allowed these workers, called tenants, to farm their land in exchange for a portion of the crops. This system was important because it provided a way for tenants to earn a living, but it often kept them in a cycle of debt and poverty due to unfair agreements. Today, the concept of sharecropping relates to modern-day gig economy jobs where workers might not own the resources they use but still rely on them for income. For example, a ride-sharing driver uses a company’s platform and car to earn money, but often faces expenses that can eat into their earnings, similar to how sharecroppers had to pay for seeds and tools.