What did the crop lien law require of debtors?

The crop lien law required debtors, typically farmers, to pledge a portion of their future crop yield as collateral for loans or credit extended by merchants or landowners. This meant that if the farmers failed to repay their debts, the creditors had a legal claim to the crops produced. The law often placed farmers in a cycle of debt, as they were forced to borrow repeatedly to cover expenses, leading to a reliance on the same merchants for credit. Ultimately, this system contributed to economic difficulties and exploitation of impoverished farmers, particularly in the post-Civil War South.