The plantation economy of the 17th- and 18th-century American South was created by insatiable demand for cotton, indigo, rice and tobacco. Though most plantations folded after the abolition of slavery, many of the grand properties on which this economy was built still exist and are excellent places to learn more about history.
It's hard to believe today, but more than 50,000 plantations operated during the height of the antebellum period, according to historian Marc Matrana. Agricultural production was the economic engine of the American South, with crops such as cotton, indigo, rice and tobacco generating fortunes for plantation owners. There is a dark side to this important chapter of American history: The bulk of the arduous labor done on plantations was performed by slaves. Today, you can visit many Southern plantations to learn more about the economic and human aspects of plantation history.
All of the Southern states had plantations, including what Matrana refers to as the Upper South: Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee. Many of the plantations you can visit today are located in the Deep South, including South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana, Alabama and Mississippi.
The word "plantation" was used during the antebellum period to refer to a family owned farming settlement. Many of the plantations featured lavish homes for the owner and his family, though a significant number of properties were actually quite modest. The plantations open to visitors today tend to be of the more impressive variety, and are often managed by state historical societies or parks programs.
You can choose from two main types of Southern plantation tours: self-directed or professionally guided. Self-directed tours can be planned by visiting a plantation's website and learning about its unique features, or by simply visiting the property and walking the grounds. Professionally guided tours are often provided by on-site docents, many of whom are trained historians with specialized knowledge about the plantation where they work. For-profit tour companies also sell plantation tours; these are usually half-day excursions for groups of 10 or more people.
If you intend to visit a plantation independently, keep in mind that the offerings of each plantation differ. Some plantations offer access only to outbuildings such as kitchens and slave quarters, while other plantations may allow visitors to walk through the main house. There are plantations that host reenactment days, when you can watch actors perform chores that were typical of the antebellum period.
- "South Carolina's Plantations and Historic Homes"; Paul M. Franklin and Nancy Mikula; 2006
- "Lost Plantations of the South"; Marc Matrana; 2009
- Gray Line New Orleans Plantation Tours
- Cotton plant -1 image by Alexey Burtsev from Fotolia.com