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Difficulty: MediumSouthern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and historical estimates of cotton production, 1800–1840.

YearCotton Production (bales)Enslaved Population
180073,000893,000
1820335,0001,538,000
18401,347,0002,487,000

Which of the following historical developments is best supported by the data in the table?

  1. The expansion of the domestic slave trade and the rise of the cotton economy reinforced the chattel labor system in the South.Answer
  2. B
    The growth of Southern textile mills allowed the region to achieve economic independence from Northern and European markets.
  3. C
    Landowners increasingly turned to contract-based indentured labor systems as a more cost-effective alternative to hereditary enslavement.
  4. D
    The introduction of new harvesting technology caused a shift in Southern production from rural fields to urban manufacturing centers.

Answer

The expansion of the domestic slave trade and the rise of the cotton economy reinforced the chattel labor system in the South.
The correct answer is correct because the exponential growth in cotton production and the simultaneous rise in the enslaved population demonstrate how the cotton economy and the domestic slave trade reinforced and expanded the chattel labor system in the South.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the data provided in the table.
Between 1800 and 1840, cotton production grew exponentially (from 73,000 to over 1.3 million bales), and the enslaved population nearly tripled (from 893,000 to nearly 2.5 million).
Understanding the trends in the data is necessary to identify which historical development corresponds to the growth shown.
2
Evaluate the choices in the context of the Market Revolution and Southern society.
The correlation between cotton production and the growth of the enslaved population shows that the cotton economy drove the expansion of chattel slavery.
This links the economic data directly to the entrenchment of the South's labor system.
3
Eliminate incorrect options based on historical accuracy.
The options suggesting the growth of Southern textile mills, the adoption of indentured labor, or a shift to urban manufacturing are historically inaccurate for the antebellum South.
The South remained overwhelmingly rural, agriculturally focused, and reliant on chattel slavery during this period.

Key Concept

The growth of the cotton economy and its role in reinforcing and expanding chattel slavery in the South.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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Topics

Southern Economy, Society, and the Defense of Slavery

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