what is a plantation

A plantation is a large farm or estate that specializes in cash crops, usually planting a single crop, with perhaps ancillary areas for vegetables for eating and so on. Plantations were created to grow cash crops for sale on the market and were an early capitalist venture. They were common on agricultural plantations in the Southern United States from the 17th into the 20th century and were generally self-sufficient settlements that relied on the forced labor of enslaved people until the abolition of slavery. Plantations are an important aspect of the history of the Southern United States, particularly the Antebellum era (pre-American Civil War). The primary focus of a plantation was the production of cash crops, with enough staple food crops produced to feed the population of the estate and the livestock. The complex included everything from the main residence down to the pens for livestock. While plantations do have value for modern society as places to learn about the history of slavery, they are not party spaces, and marketing them as "classic" or "timeless" places to celebrate a big day communicates a clear message to Black clients and readers that their suffering is something to be celebrated, if not completely erased.