The Yeoman Farmers of the South

       The Plantation Class of the American South is the group that is most often associated with life in the South prior to the Civil War.  They were the ruling class of the South influencing politics, religions, and  Southern culture from the top of the social pyramid.  The planters were not the majority of the white population though, most whites were members of the Yeoman class.

    Yeoman farmers owned their own land and typically grew corn, wheat, and vegetables and raised pork and chickens.  They grew what they needed and sold any surplus crops to make a profit.  If the Plantation Owners were the Upper Class of the Antebellum South then the Yeoman would be the Middle Class of the South.

For H.W. finish reading and marking up The Life of Yeoman Farmers and then answer the following questions on the back of the reading.


1. True of False?  Yeoman farmers interacted with many different types of people in Southern society and spent much of their time in the markets of various cities in the South.  Explain your answer using evidence from the reading.

2. Which famous politicians might the yeoman look up to and why?

3. Explain why the yeoman were a transient group of people.

4. What is a stereotype about the work ethic of the yeoman?  Is it true? Use evidence from the reading to support your answer.

5. Did yeoman own slaves?  How was the relationship between slaves and yeoman different from the relationship between plantation owners and slaves?

6. What were three activities that brought yeoman together as a community?

7. Why do historians know so little about yeoman and know much more about plantation owners?

8. What concept united the yeoman with other whites in Southern society?