Analyze how the plantation economy impacted the small farmers who lived inland in South Carolina prior to the Civil War.(1 point)

The plantation economy in South Carolina prior to the Civil War had significant impacts on small farmers inland. Among the provided responses, "Small farmers shifted away from growing food to grow cotton" is the most accurate.

As large plantations focused on cash crops like cotton, smaller farmers often felt pressured to compete economically. This led many to abandon staple crops for cotton production hoping to benefit from its profitability. The dominance of the plantation system also made it harder for small farmers to sustain their livelihoods, as they increasingly had to contend with falling prices and market pressures.

The other options have less historical support. While some small farmers may have migrated to urban areas like Charleston for work, the significant trend was toward cotton farming. There is little evidence of widespread land sell-off among small farmers as a direct result of the plantation economy, nor was there a major shift toward growing rice, which was more typical in coastal plantations rather than inland farming. Thus, the shift to cotton production is a clear reflection of the plantation economy's influence on small farmers in inland South Carolina.