Farmers and planters
Farmers
During the early statehood,like most Texans lived in rural areas. According to the 1850 census, only 5 percent of Texans lived in cities. Most of the remaining 95 percent live and worked on farms or ranches. Besides the foods their families needed to live, many Texas farmers grew a cash crop- typically cotton- to sell for profit. Sugarcane another cash crop, was grown near the coast and along river bottoms.
Planters
A few wealthy planters,or large scale farmers,held many slaves,while most smaller planters owned between 10 and 20. Planters live more than most people. They wore fine clothing and ate fancy dinners. Their homes ranged from fairly simple structures to huge mansions. These homes often had expensive furniture from New Orleans or Europe. Along with their wealth,planters had power and status. Although there were only about 2,000 planters in Texas in 1860, they controlled the state's economy and government.
Credits:
All done by Stormie McEwen