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Most southern farmers owned no slaves
Wealthy farmers bought and consolidated the land of poor farmers.
Arable farmers
Tenant farming created a new class of wealthy southerners called merchants. Tenant farmers paid a landowner rent for farmland and a house, The tenant farmer owned the crops, and at harvest time would sell the crops for income to pay rent. However, due to poor crops and various other issues, tenant farmers often borrowed on credit to make the rent. It became a vicious cycle for the tenant farmer, but advantageous for the merchants.
Tenant Farmers