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Difficulty: MediumChesapeake and Southern Colonies

Excerpt from James Glen, Governor of South Carolina, *A Description of South Carolina*, 1751:

'Our plantations lie on the rivers... We make rice, which is our chief commodity. The cultivation of rice is a very labor-intensive process, carried out in wet, swampy lands. This work has come to depend almost entirely on the labor of imported African slaves, who are better suited to endure the heat and diseases of our lowcountry. This reliance has caused our province's population to shift, so that the number of Negroes now far exceeds that of the white inhabitants, leading to a constant vigilance to prevent conspiracies.'

The economic and demographic patterns described in the excerpt most directly contributed to which of the following developments in the Lower South by the mid-1700s?

  1. The passage of increasingly strict legal codes to regulate the behavior and restrict the movement of the enslaved populationAnswer
  2. B
    The growth of close-knit, town-centered communities with an economy based on family-run farms
  3. C
    A gradual transition from chattel slavery back to temporary contracts of indentured servitude
  4. D
    The establishment of a self-sufficient economy that traded freely with other European powers without imperial restrictions

Answer

The passage of increasingly strict legal codes to regulate the behavior and restrict the movement of the enslaved population
The correct answer is correct because the plantation economy of the Lower South (such as South Carolina) became heavily dependent on the cultivation of cash crops like rice, which led to a massive influx of enslaved Africans. As the enslaved population grew to outnumber the white colonists, fears of conspiracies and rebellions prompted colonial legislatures to enact highly restrictive slave codes to control and subjugate the labor force.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the stimulus context and main arguments.
The excerpt from James Glen in 1751 describes South Carolina's plantation economy, focusing on rice cultivation, heavy reliance on African slave labor, and a major demographic imbalance where the enslaved population outnumbered white colonists, leading to fears of rebellion.
Understanding the source's main themes is necessary to identify the historical consequences.
2
Evaluate the options based on the historical developments of the Lower South in the 18th century.
The fear of slave rebellions due to demographic imbalances led Southern colonial legislatures to pass strict slave codes (such as South Carolina's 1740 Act) that legally defined chattel slavery and severely restricted the rights and movement of enslaved people.
Connecting the demographic anxiety in the text to its direct legal and social outcome allows us to determine the correct historical development.

Key Concept

The development of plantation economies and chattel slavery in the Southern colonies, along with the subsequent legal and social control mechanisms.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Chesapeake and Southern Colonies

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