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Where to Start?
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Now remember Presidential Libraries are specialized and you aren't going to find vital records - birth marriage deaths, but you may find ancestors like "Why did the rural farmer lifestyle of our ancestors need so much attention? We can find who, what, when, and where in genealogical databases and many deeds and records; but what about WHY?
Researchers will find a wider view of ancestors through any President's papers. These repositories of history, preserve records from the president’s administration, personal papers, and materials related to their era. The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library is no exception. While it primarily focuses on Carter’s presidency (1977–1981), it also houses resources that can enrich your understanding of your family’s past, particularly if they lived in Georgia or the South during the late 20th century.
Researching Tenant Farmers and Share Cropper Ancestors?
If your ancestors were farmers in the late 19th or early 20th century begin with gathering the following:
- Land Records: Check historical deeds or tax records to determine if they rented land (tenant farmers) or worked as sharecroppers.
- Census Data: U.S. Census records from the late 1800s and early 1900s often note whether a person was a “farm laborer” or a “farmer” and whether they owned or rented land.
- Local Histories: Explore local archives or oral histories for information on land ownership and agricultural practices in your ancestor’s community.
In the aftermath of the Civil War, new paths were made for landowners to maintain labor on their farms without the enslaved workforce. Mostly those who struggled tried, without success, to get out of poverty being a Sharecropper or Tenant Farmer.
Sharecroppers were farmers who worked someone else’s land in exchange for a share of the crops they produced, typically half or more. A tenant farmer might rent 20 acres, plant corn, and pay the landowner 20% of the crop as rent, keeping the rest for their family or sale.
Tenant Farmers rented land from a landowner and paid rent, usually in cash or a smaller percentage of their crops. A sharecropper might grow cotton on a landowner’s property. At harvest, they’d turn over 50% or more of the crop as payment, leaving little for their own needs.
Sharecroppers and Tenant Farmers were common in the South, particularly among African Americans and poor whites who lacked the resources to buy land. Over time, both systems contributed to the persistence of poverty and inequality in the region. But what did Jimmy Carter know about this. Well, we are talking the southern practices and here is a 1970 article on just that:
Finding records of sharecroppers or tenant farmers can be challenging but rewarding. These individuals often didn’t own property, so traditional land records may not apply, but there are alternative resources that can reveal valuable details about their lives.
What's at the Library?
While the library doesn’t house vital records like birth certificates or marriage licenses, it provides rich historical context that can complement genealogical data. For example, understanding the challenges of farming in the 1970s or the impact of federal housing policies can help you piece together your ancestors’ experiences.
Federal Records: Studies on Georgia’s economy, farming trends, or housing developments.
Photographs and Media: Images of Georgia communities, Carter’s campaign stops, or significant events.
Policy Papers: Documents detailing how federal programs influenced local communities.
Exhibits and Oral Histories: Stories from Carter’s contemporaries, potentially including people from your family’s region..
- Post-Civil War through the early 20th century, especially 1870–1940. The 1900, 1910, 1920, and 1930 censuses often specify whether a person owned or rented their farm or home.
- Occupation listed as “farmer” or “farm laborer.”
- Indications such as “R” (rented), “O” (owned), or “F” (farm) in property columns.
- Agricultural schedules (available for some years like 1850–1880), which may list crops produced or acreage worked.
- Tenant farmers and sharecroppers often entered into contracts with landowners.
- County Courthouses: Lease agreements or rental contracts might be in land records or probate files.
- Historical Societies: Some local organizations have preserved ledgers or documents related to farming arrangements.
- Tips: Search for records of the landowner. Tenant agreements may be filed under their name rather than the tenant’s.
- Look for deeds or tax records that describe land usage rather than outright ownership.
For African American ancestors after the Civil War: The Freedmen’s Bureau (1865–1872) helped formerly enslaved people transition to freedom, often brokering labor contracts between freedmen and landowners. Look for the following:
- Labor contracts, particularly in Southern states.
- Complaints or disputes filed by sharecroppers or tenants.
Local tax records can reveal clues: Tenant farmers may appear in personal property tax rolls (for tools, livestock, or crops) even if they didn’t own land. Check the County tax assessor’s office or archives.
5. Agricultural Extension Records
In the early 20th century, state agricultural extensions and federal programs worked with sharecroppers and tenant farmers.
6. Plantation and Landowner Records
If your ancestors worked for a specific landowner, plantation or large landowner records might include tenant or sharecropping agreements and/or lists of workers or correspondence.
Be sure to check out University libraries or special collections focusing on Southern history and local historical societies.
7. Oral Histories and Local Histories
Sources:Library of Congress’s American Memory Project.
Local archives or historical societies.
8. Court Records
County or state court archives may hold these records.
- Disputes between landowners and tenants often ended up in court. Look for the following:
- Lawsuits over unpaid rent or disagreements about crop shares.
- Probate cases that mention tenant arrangements.
These narratives may be found online through the Library of Congress or genealogical websites.
- The Works Progress Administration (WPA) collected interviews in the 1930s, including
- accounts of former enslaved people and their descendants, many of whom became sharecroppers or tenant farmers.
- Stories of rural life that may mention local systems of labor and farming.
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