30 Negro Migration 



and almost all of the available area was or had been used 

 for agriculture. The land in the Wiregrass region was 

 also held in large tracts, but only a small portion of it was 

 cultivated. In 1860, 83.6 per cent of the cotton of the 

 State was grown in the Black Belt; 13.7 per cent in the 

 Upper Piedmont; 3 per cent in the Wiregrass, and a bare 

 0.7 per cent in the mountains. 1 *The initial causes of 

 the change from the regime of gang labor are therefore 

 to be observed best in the situation of the Black Belt plant- 

 ers after the war. Large landed estates and large scale 

 production of cotton had become almost their religion. Nat- 

 urally a strong effort was made to continue the cultivation 

 of cotton by using the freedmen under the gang system, and 

 in some parts of the State this system is still found. The 

 supervision implied was, however, such a constant reminder 

 of the physical restraint of slavery and offered such limited 

 opportunity for making profits that the Negro was dis- 

 contented with it. 



For several reasons many were in a position to make their 

 own terms with the landlords and escape from this irksome 

 supervision. The competition for labor was for a time in- 

 tense. Many of the farms were ruined and idle, and, not- 

 withstanding the high price of cotton, it was easy to acquire 

 land. The system of allowing the merchant to hold a lien 

 upon the growing crop in security for supplies advanced, 

 gave laborers without capital further opportunity to acquire 

 land on credit, or for a rental, and to stock it by securing 

 advances from supply merchants, giving as security a mort- 

 gage upon the crop which he promised to plant. | Thus the 

 tenant could make the initial payment on a piece of cheap 

 land, secure easy credit for tools, stock, and supplies, and 

 depend upon future crops to pay him out of debt. / A de- 

 tailed picture of the influence of these factors upon the 

 plantation system can be presented in connection with the 



1 Brooks, R. P., opp. cite p. 124. 



