Would you say then, that many of these terminologies such as Planter, Farmer, et al, may be simply a matter of "self perception" or of how a person was perceived in his local area? Hannah Powell ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter J. Lysy" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Thursday, July 02, 2009 9:24 AM Subject: Re: [VA-HIST] VA-HIST Digest - 30 Jun 2009 to 1 Jul 2009 (#2009-40) > The distinctions Professor Finkleman makes between the terms farmer and > planter may be a useful terminology for contemporary historians when they > write about the Antebellum South, but the distinctions are not based on > historical usage and should not be used to draw hidden meanings from the > terms as they were used a hundred fifty years ago. Usage was simply not > consistent during the Antebellum era. A quick look at the compendium of > the 1860 census illustrates these inconsistencies: > > The 1860 compendium reports occupations by state. A few examples: AR = > 48,475 farmers / 438 planters; KY = 110,937 farmers / 7 planters; NC = > 85,198 farmers / 121 planters; SC = 35,137 farmers / 2,521 planters; VA = > 108,958 farmers / 80 planters. > > The compendium also reports the number of slave-holders who held 20 or > more enslaved persons: AR about 500; KY about 1,250; NC about 3,400; SC > about 4,700; VA about 5,500. > > In these five cases, the terms farmer and planter clearly do not correlate > well to the numbers of slaves held, nor do they correlate to what we know > about the types of crops being grown and the self-sufficiency of the > agricultural units in these four states. > > Peter Lysy > Archivist > University of Notre Dame > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Wed, 1 Jul 2009 08:56:04 -0700 > From: Paul Finkelman <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Plantations and Farms -- the difference > > Two main differences.=A0=20 > > Farmers raised diverse crops for themselves and the market.=A0 A small > farm= > er in Va. might grow corn, wheat, some small animals, and maybe hay or > toba= > cco for the market.=A0 A planter might be less diversified, and would > speci= > alize in market crops (cotton, tobacco, sugar, rice).=A0 Many plantations > b= > ought most of their food from other sources because it was more profitable > = > to devote all their land and labor to cash crops.=A0 Ohio exported > signific= > ant amounts of pork, for example, to the South. > > Planters in the antebellum South had significant numbers of slaves (at > leas= > t 20 is the usually number).=A0 Many farmers had no slaves or only a few.= > =20 > > ---- > =0APaul Finkelman > =0APresident William McKinley Distinguished Professor of Law > =0AAlbany Law School > =0A80 New Scotland Avenue > =0AAlbany, NY 12208 > =0A > =0A518-445-3386 (p) > =0A518-445-3363 (f) > =0A > [log in to unmask] > =0A > =0Awww.paulfinkelman.com > > > Peter J. Lysy > Senior Archivist and Records Center Manager > > Archives of the University of Notre Dame > 607 Hesburgh Library > Notre Dame, IN 46556 > > voice: 574-631-4030 > fax: 574-631-7980 > e-mail: [log in to unmask] > > ______________________________________ > To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions > at > http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html ______________________________________ To subscribe, change options, or unsubscribe please see the instructions at http://listlva.lib.va.us/archives/va-hist.html