How widespread was sharecropping in the south in the late 1800s

Sharecropping was widespread in the south in the late 1800s as a result of the end of slavery and the subdivision of plantations.

Explanation:

All right, after slavery was abolished there were a lot of ex-slaves that required a way to earn a living. Thus the government had the brilliant idea of subdividing the plantations, resulting in a very good way to provide them a source of income with a new organization in which the landowner wouldn't manifest himself or herself against the new economical structure the country was taking. The sharecropper owned a significant fraction of the crop and that is how many farming districts were born.