Tenant farming Agricultural Adjustment Act

barn on tenant s farm. walker county, alabama. taken february 1937.

tenant farming characterized cotton , tobacco production in post-civil war south. agricultural economy plummeted in 1930s, farmers badly hurt tenant farmers , sharecroppers experienced worst of it.

to accomplish goal of parity (raising crop prices in golden years of 1909–1914), act reduced crop production. act accomplished offering landowners acreage reduction contracts, agreed not grow cotton on portion of land. law, required pay tenant farmers , sharecroppers on land portion of money; after southern democrats in congress complained, secretary of agriculture surrendered , reinterpreted section 7 no longer send checks sharecroppers directly, hurting tenants. farm wage workers worked directly landowner suffered greatest unemployment result of act. there few people gullible enough believe acreage devoted cotton can reduced one-third without accompanying decrease in laborers engaged in production. researchers concluded statistics after act took effect ... indicate consistent , widespread tendency cotton croppers and, considerable extent, tenants decrease in numbers between 1930 , 1935. decreases among negroes consistently greater among whites. consequence historic high levels of mobility year year declined sharply, tenants , croppers tended stay longer same landowner.

for tenants , sharecroppers aaa major help. frey , smith concluded, extent aaa control-program has been responsible increased price [of cotton], conclude has increased amount of goods , services consumed cotton tenants , croppers area. furthermore, landowners typically let tenants , croppers use land taken out of cotton production own personal use in growing food , feed crops, further increased standard of living. consequence historic high levels of turnover year year declined sharply, tenants , croppers tend stay same landowner. researchers concluded, rule, planters seem prefer negroes whites tenants , croppers.

delta , providence cooperative farms in mississippi , southern tenant farmers union organized in 1930s principally response hardships imposed on sharecroppers , tenant farmers.

although act stimulated american agriculture, not without faults. example, disproportionately benefited large farmers , food processors, lesser benefits small farmers , sharecroppers. spread of cotton-picking machinery after 1945, there exodus of small farmers , croppers city.