What refers to a system of credit in the south?

A system of credit in the South often refers to the sharecropping and tenant farming systems that emerged after the Civil War. In these systems, landowners provided land, tools, and seeds to farmers (often former slaves) who would then share a portion of their crops as payment. This arrangement frequently resulted in a cycle of debt and economic dependency, as farmers struggled to pay off their credits while facing high costs and low crop prices.