A Day's Wages

ID: 1263 ~ Source: Image courtesy of the Texas Collection, Baylor University ~ Creator: Fred Marlar
This file appears in: Cotton
A Day's Wages

Prior to the Civil War, slaves brought their pickings to the gin at the end of the day to be weighed. After achieving their freedom, many African Americans continued to work in the fields but for pay, and the weighing system remained. Landowners used scales such as the one in this picture to determine how much to pay laborers at the end of each day.

This file appears in: Cotton

By Amanda Sawyer
For nearly half a century, cotton reigned as king of Waco's economy, establishing the once small frontier town as a thriving urban center known throughout the country. The area later named Waco held a long history of agricultural pursuits…