What is one economic change in the Reconstruction Era?

One significant economic change during the Reconstruction Era was the transition from a slave-based economy to a labor system that included wage labor and sharecropping. As formerly enslaved people sought autonomy and economic opportunity, many became sharecroppers, renting land to farm in exchange for a portion of their crops. This system often led to cycles of debt and poverty, limiting the economic mobility of many African Americans. Additionally, the South began to diversify its economy, moving towards more varied agricultural and industrial practices.