How Do You Spell SHARECROPPERS?
Pronunciation: [ʃˈe͡əkɹɒpəz] (IPA) 
Pronunciation: [ʃˈe͡əkɹɒpəz] (IPA)
Sharecroppers were a class of agricultural laborers prevalent in the United States, particularly in the southern regions, during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As per the dictionary definition, sharecroppers were individuals, often African Americans, who rented and worked a portion of a landowner's property in exchange for a portion of the harvest.
The sharecropping system emerged after the abolition of slavery, creating a new form of labor relations in the agrarian South. Landowners provided the sharecropper and their family with housing, tools, and often seeds and fertilizer. In return, the sharecropper would cultivate and harvest the land, typically growing crops such as cotton, tobacco, or corn. At the end of the growing season, the sharecropper would give a portion of the harvest to the landowner as payment for the land and resources provided.
Typically, sharecroppers were in a cycle of perpetual debt, as they would often owe the landowner for supplies or other expenses. The sharecropping system, which thrived through commercial farming and cash crops, was often unjust, leading to economic hardship and limited upward mobility for sharecroppers. It also perpetuated systemic racism and social inequalities, as many sharecroppers were subject to exploitative arrangements and discriminatory practices.
Sharecropping declined in the United States during the mid-20th century due to various factors, including mechanization, urban migration, and the civil rights movement. However, its historical significance remains a stark reminder of the exploitative labor practices and racial disparities that shaped the American agricultural landscape.
The word "sharecroppers" is a compound word that combines the terms "share" and "croppers".
The term "share" comes from the Old English word "scearu", meaning "portion" or "division". It later evolved to "sheren" in Middle English, maintaining the same meaning. The word went through phonetic changes over time to become "share" in its current form.
The term "cropper" has its origin in the noun "crop", which originally meant the produce from a cultivated field, often referring to grain or other plants. In the 14th century, "cropper" first emerged as a term for someone who harvested crops. Gradually, it took on the specific meaning of a tenant farmer who pays rent with a share of the crops produced.
