3. The Butler Family (Georgia & South Carolina)
The Butler family, prominent rice planters in Georgia and South Carolina, faced significant challenges after emancipation. Pierce Mease Butler, who inherited the family’s plantations, attempted to revive rice cultivation but struggled without enslaved labor. His daughter, Frances Butler Leigh, documented these hardships in her book, “Ten Years on a Georgian Plantation Since the War.” Some family members emigrated, while others diversified into new ventures to adapt to the post-war economy (georgiaencyclopedia.org).
