Sharecropping was a system of agriculture that emerged in the Southern United States after the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. It was an arrangement where Black farmers worked on white-owned plantations and in return, they received a share of the crops they produced. However, the sharecroppers typically owed the landowner a portion of their harvest as payment for using the land, as well as other expenses, such as tools, seeds, and fertilizers.

Sharecropping was often exploitative and oppressive, as many Black sharecroppers found themselves in a cycle of debt and poverty. Landowners would often charge high interest rates and manipulate the system to keep sharecroppers in perpetual debt, which made it difficult for them to leave or improve their economic situation.

Despite its many challenges, sharecropping was a significant economic and social institution for many Black Americans in the South after the Civil War. It provided them with a means of survival and a way to build communities and support networks in the face of systemic oppression and discrimination. Through sharecropping, Black farmers were able to maintain a sense of independence and autonomy, even in the face of harsh conditions.

Eventually, the decline of the sharecropping system in the mid-20th century was due to several factors, including mechanization of agriculture, the Great Migration of Black Americans to urban areas in search of better opportunities, and the civil rights movement advocating for economic and social equality.