What aspect characterized tenant farming in the post-Civil War South?

Tenant farming in the post-Civil War South was characterized by an arrangement where farmers would work land that they did not own in exchange for a portion of the crop yield, which is known as "sharecropping." This system emerged out of the economic devastation left by the Civil War and the need for a labor force to cultivate the land, especially among formerly enslaved individuals who sought employment and autonomy.

Under this system, tenant farmers typically did not pay cash rent for the land. Instead, they would provide a share of their produce to the landowners, who supplied the land and resources necessary for farming. This arrangement often resulted in a cycle of debt, as tenants would have to borrow money for seeds, tools, and other necessities at high interest rates, making it challenging for them to achieve true economic independence.

The incorrect aspects such as land ownership and cash rent do not accurately describe tenant farming, since tenants often did not own the land they worked, nor did they typically pay a straightforward cash rent; they primarily engaged in crop-sharing agreements. Labor without pay might refer to other systems such as slavery, which had been abolished; thus, the post-Civil War labor dynamics were quite different from those earlier practices. Therefore, work for a share of the