How did white plantation owners work their land after slaves were freed?

After the slaves were freed white plantation owners had to find new ways to work their land. They typically used three methods: sharecropping tenant farming and wage labor. Sharecropping was a common practice in the South. It involved a system where a tenant farmer usually a former slave would work the land in exchange for a share of the crops proceeds at the end of the harvest. The plantation owner would provide the land tools and supplies while the tenant farmer handled the labor. Tenant farming was similar to sharecropping but the tenant farmer was required to pay rent for the use of the land. This allowed plantation owners to maintain control of their land but it often left the tenant farmer in a difficult financial position. The third option was wage labor which involved hiring workers to work the land. This was the most expensive option but it allowed plantation owners to maintain more control over the land and the labor. In the end white plantation owners had to adjust their methods of working the land after the slaves were freed. Sharecropping tenant farming and wage labor were the three primary options available to them and each had its own pros and cons.