What large group of southerners owned small farms of 50-200 acres in 1800?

In the early 1800s, a large group of southerners known as "yeoman farmers" owned small farms ranging from 50 to 200 acres. These farmers typically worked their land with their families and sometimes employed a few enslaved people, but they were distinct from the wealthier plantation owners who operated larger estates. Yeoman farmers played a significant role in the agricultural economy of the South, focusing on crops like tobacco, corn, and cotton. They were often seen as the backbone of the rural Southern society.