Who worked as plantation workers and what were the working conditions ?

Many people worked as plantation workers during the 19th and early 20th centuries. Plantation workers, especially African-American slaves, were subjected to very harsh working conditions. Plantations were often located in rural areas, so the workers had to live in isolation and were not provided with many amenities. Planters often worked sun up to sun down and were expected to complete strenuous physical labor in the fields. Even when slavery was abolished, poor black sharecroppers continued to be exploited in terms of wages and access to basic subsistence needs such as housing, clothing, and medical care. These oppressive conditions, coupled with racism and prejudice, led to the struggles of the Civil Rights Movement.