were there, and more Jordi of the free population were small farmers that lived far from cities in the southern economy, or the northern economy before the Civil War
. In the southern economy, small farmers typically grew crops like cotton, tobacco, and sugar cane on small plots of land. They often relied on the labor of enslaved Africans to work their fields. In the northern economy, small farmers typically grew a variety of crops such as wheat, corn, and potatoes.
Before the Civil War, the majority of the free population in both the southern and northern economies were small farmers. These small farmers faced different challenges depending on their location. In the South, they were often at the mercy of fluctuating crop prices and were vulnerable to economic downturns. In the North, small farmers also faced challenges such as competition from larger commercial farms and limited access to markets.
Overall, small farmers played a significant role in the pre-Civil War economy of the United States, and their lives and livelihoods were shaped by the unique economic conditions of the regions in which they lived.