Arkansas 1940s After the Emancipation Proclamation passed black people werent called slaves they were called sharecroppers. Sharecroppers living on plantations in shacks, very close to the main Big House. Sharecropper is a system that was used to earn a living. Blacks picked cotton, took care of the farm, planted crops, tended to the farm animals, and daily chores such as wash clothes, wash dishes, and cook at the mercy of the Big Boss. There were rules that needed to be followed on a daily basis according to the Big Boss and if they werent met, you could possibly lose your life. They were forced to live this way if they wanted to survive. After many years passed, there were blacks in the White House and they started to migrate from the South to the North for a better life.