What were characteristics of plantation owners?

Answer 1

Plantation owners in the antebellum South were typically wealthy, white male landowners who held significant economic and social power. They often owned large tracts of land and relied heavily on enslaved labor to cultivate cash crops such as cotton, tobacco, and sugar. Many plantation owners were educated and held strong political influence, often participating in local and state governance. Their lifestyles were marked by luxury and leisure, supported by the labor of enslaved people, which perpetuated a rigid social hierarchy.