In Texas
Ranches are 1,000 acres and above
Frams are, of course, 999 and under.
There are exceptions, but this is caused by people who grow up in Dallas not
knowing better.
Plantations and farms are just a variant of the same issue. SUBJECTIVE, not
Objective.
John Adams
Texas
-----Original Message-----
From: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Craig Kilby
Sent: Wednesday, July 01, 2009 11:10 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Plantations and Farms -- the difference
Paul,
I think we are talking about two different definitions here. One is
what was the "real" difference between a yeoman farmer and "planter"
with at least 20 slaves, as you define it. The other is how were
these terms -used_ in documents such as deeds and wills in the
antebellum era. That is an entirely different issue. I get the
impression this thread has split into two entirely different
discussions. Maybe even three or four if we are going to throw in the
Midwest and New England, whose definition or understanding of those
terms may be very different from those in Virginia (or to split it
further, in the Deep South itself.)
Craig
On Jul 1, 2009, at 11:56 AM, Paul Finkelman wrote:
> Two main differences.
>
> Farmers raised diverse crops for themselves and the market. A
> small farmer in Va. might grow corn, wheat, some small animals, and
> maybe hay or tobacco for the market. A planter might be less
> diversified, and would specialize in market crops (cotton, tobacco,
> sugar, rice). Many plantations bought most of their food from
> other sources because it was more profitable to devote all their
> land and labor to cash crops. Ohio exported significant amounts of
> pork, for example, to the South.
>
> Planters in the antebellum South had significant numbers of slaves
> (at least 20 is the usually number). Many farmers had no slaves or
> only a few.
>
> ----
>
> Paul Finkelman
>
> President William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law
>
> Albany Law School
>
> 80 New Scotland Avenue
>
> Albany, NY 12208
>
>
>
> 518-445-3386 (p)
>
> 518-445-3363 (f)
>
>
>
> [log in to unmask]
>
>
>
> www.paulfinkelman.com
>
> --- On Wed, 7/1/09, Hannah Powell <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
>
> From: Hannah Powell <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Plantations
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Wednesday, July 1, 2009, 11:36 AM
>
> My next question..... What is the difference between a PLANTER and
> a FARMER........
> Hannah Powell
>
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Craig Kilby"
> <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Tuesday, June 30, 2009 12:54 PM
> Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] Plantations
>
>
>> Paul,
>>
>> I concur completely and am glad you posted this. Like many of us
>> on this list, we have all read hundreds if not thousands of wills
>> and deeds and I find no difference between the term plantation
>> and farm in the records from this era. Thanks to Gone With The
>> Wind, the term *plantation* has come to be synominous with Tara.
>>
>> Craig Kilby
>>
>> On Jun 30, 2009, at 9:07 AM, Paul Heinegg wrote:
>>
>>> If the common usage of a term defines its meaning, then wills
>>> and deeds prior to about 1850 refer to a plantation as any tract
>>> of land which was planted. An 1806 will refers to a plantation
>>> of 19 acres, an 1807 will refers to a plantation of 15 acres,
>>> and the words farm and plantation were used interchangeably in
>>> an 1844 will.
>>> One could determine the common usage by reading enough wills and
>>> deeds from the period in question.
>>> Paul
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