Educational, social, and economic characteristics of the plantation culture of Brazoria County, Texas

Problem. The plantation period, of Brazoria County was studied, to provide an understanding of the education and of the related social and economic characteristics of a society which constituted a dominant influence in early Texas. A study of the educational characteristics of the plantation culture is essential to the study of the history of education in Texas. Procedures. Thirty plantations, of varying size, were studied individually. The group was large enough to be representative of the society and to provide conclusions of significance. Information on education was obtained from family papers, personal interviews, histories, newspaper advertisements, and data issued by schools and teachers. Economic factors were determined from the Census of the United States for 185O and 1860, statements of Brazoria County sugar crops, deed records, family papers, and estate inventories. Sources for study of social characteristics were family papers, interviews, estate folders, wills, histories, newspapers, gravestones, and historical locations. From examination of collected information, the characteristics of the society were identified.