Freedman's Contract for a Mule and Land, January 1, 1868

After the Civil War, white landowners contracted with black freed persons to work their land and grow crops. In this 1868 contract, R. Hart agreed to furnish Henry Mathew with 35 acres, a mule, and, after harvest, 1/3 of his crop in compensation for his labor. While seemingly straightforward many contracts trapped black laborers into a lifetime of poverty.