What is the plantation system?

In the 17th century Europeans began to establish settlements in the Americas. The division of the land into smaller units under private ownership became known as the plantation system. Starting in Virginia the system spread to the New England colonies. read more

The plantation system started in Virginia and spread to New England, with plantations growing labor-intensive crops like cotton, rice, sugar cane and tobacco, initially powered by convicts that were shipped to the Americas by the British and then later, by slaves bought by plantation owners in the slave trade. read more

Plantation System In the 17th century Europeans began to establish settlements in the Americas. The division of the land into smaller units under private ownership became known as the plantation system. read more

The plantation system reached its height in the first half of the 19th century, when it was centered in the USA. The demand for cotton for Europe’s mechanized industry stimulated a tremendous expansion of cotton plantations in the southern USA. read more