Small Farmers vs. the Planter Elite in the Antebellum South

In the Antebellum South (1815–1861), the planter class ensured a rigid, hierarchical society. Small farmers, or Yeomen, white workers, and poor whites made up seventy-five percent of the white population, but the wealthy planters controlled everything else. This produced significant economic and social tensions between the two classes. The rise of King Cotton after the War of 1812 worsened inequality. Wealthy planters profited from their enslaved labor, while small farmers tried to survive on less fertile soil or in upland regions that were difficult to farm. This pitted the Yeoman against the planter elite.

Small farmers possessed freedom and independence but lacked the connections to enter politics, banking, and cultural life. Planters shaped the laws and policies to protect slavery and plantation interests, which did not favor the smaller farmers. Fresh blood did not bring new business because immigrants saw the South as an agrarian society that lacked opportunity.

Animosity between the Yeoman and poor whites fueled demands for political reform. They wanted fairer voting laws, more representation, and limits on elite political control. The rise of Jacksonian Democracy aimed to help the “common man” by pushing back against elites; however, it only benefited white men. Native Americans lost their lands, women gained no rights, and enslaved people remained oppressed. There was some light because a significant portion of Appalachian whites came to oppose the planters’ political and, later, military dominance.

The Hayes Plantation in Edenton, NC, served as my house muse for Oak Grove Plantation in Mission 2: Unexpected Visitors, coming out in May.